Blood of the Reach
by Legend of the Frost
Summary: This story follows Xaxa Faolan Red the son of Red Eagle and now king of the Sundered Hills in his quest to take back the Reach. Follow this fine and bloody tale of war, heartbreak, betrayal, and victory with Xaxa, Kaie, The Dragonborn, and many other skyrim characters, his rallying cry, The Reach will be ours again. warning: this is a story about the forsworn, so it will be graphic
1. Chapter 1

A forsworn Tale

Xaxa

Prologue

My people once called this land which is the Reach home. But we can no longer, because the nords took our home. They oppress us and we have been forced to pillage our own lands and bury our dead on land that is no longer ours. We are what many call the Forsworn, and we have taken kindly to the name. We will make this land run red with blood for years to come until every nord is driven from the Reach and we can once again call the land home. The spirits are with us, the old gods are with us, and the hags are with us, and we shall not give up our fight. Red eagle had even said this, we will fight to the death and maybe there after. I am a true Reachmen, and this is our tale, the tale of the Forsworn.

We prepared ourselves for battle, we were about to strike hard at the nords like in the great days. I was a young child then, I was born in the Sundered hills and that is where I have been almost my whole life. I wandered the Reach almost freely. I witnessed the nords mistreatment of my people, they hated the native Reachmen. Their soldiers beat on the old young and weak. They preyed on innocent natives, and impoverished us. But the time for vengeance would be soon at hand. Our numbers flourished every day; we grow stronger than before. Hundreds have and are pledging themselves to our cause, the time to strike at the nords would be soon at hand. We would take back Markarth, and the entire Reach, and our enemies would crumble at our feet. There would be much blood spilt, but it would pay off in the long run.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 1: A New King

I sat on a large stone that overlooked the great river that thundered passed the Sundered Hills, my home. I watched my kin go on in their daily lives as best they could. The foragers were out doing what they did best. Forge herbs, and hunting for food, and search for supplies within our territory. The Sundered hills were one of the largest forsworn territories in the reach. I just sat bathing in the sun.

"Beautiful day isn't it?" asked a feminine voice behind me. I turned and saw Kaie, her beautiful brown hair falling down to the upper regions of her back. She was dressed in nord clothes so I knew automatically she was going to Markarth. "You're going to do work for the king in rags today?" I asked sourly. "Don't say it like that. Today is the last day I do this." She said to me warmly. "Why do you say that?" I asked her "Because today he is being broken out of Cidna mine, and the uprising shall begin anew." She said smiling. "Well then go with god speed all this sitting around is rubbish." I said gripping the steel sword that I claimed as a prize from a slain foe. It was of high value with us forsworn, because it was much more effective against heavily armored foes. It was more effective than our standard bone weapons.

"I shall, and the matron wants to see you she told me to send you to her if I saw you." Kaie said "I think she is going to be talking about your rising to Chief of the Sundered Hills." She said proudly "Then I best not keep her waiting. But before I go did you ever decide on my request?" I asked "Yes I have and it's no." My face fell "No as in not right now, not until the Reach is ours again Xaxa, I just don't want to bring kids into this world if they can't even claim the home which is rightfully theirs." She said sadly. I hugged her "Don't worry about it now. Just go do your duty, and I will fulfill mine, just promise you will come back." I said to her "I will." She said through our embrace.

With that we parted ways she went down into the caves leading into the valley below the Sundered Hills. I went to go see the matron, I came to the base of the Broken Tower Redoubt where the Matron roosted. I came and went up the stairs, nodding to the two Ravagers who were guarding the entrance. I walked to the very top of the tower up the old steps and wooden floor boards. I entered the Matrons nest.

"You wanted to see me Matron Esmeralda?" I asked evenly. The old hagraven turned and looked me in the face with her beady black eyes. "Yes I did morsel." She said in her rough old voice. Her black feathers falling to the ground as she moved toward me, I remained wary of her long talons that sprouted forth from her fingers and toes. "Esmeralda sees great promise in your future, as I have read it in the bones of the eagle. The revered animal of the Sundered hills." She said in her rough and raspy voice. "Oh, and what would that be?" I asked. "You are to be king of the Sundered Hills. You shall take the name Red Eagle the third. And lead us to great victory. The reach will be ours again and you shall be one of the torches that shall light the way.

I nodded "it would be my honor to lead the people, but there is one thing if I may?" I requested while simultaneously bowing in respect. "What is it morsel, Esmeralda will listen to whatever the meat has to say." She said intrigued. "Madanach the king in rags is breaking out today and he is said to be organizing a new uprising." I said stoically though I was elated at the thought of an uprising, and killing many of those arrogant nords.

"Madanach? That foolish boy who thinks he is above a hag?" Esmeralda shrieked in outrage. "Yes matron, if I may I feel it would be good to follow him for now as he has the charisma to organize all of the forsworn tribes, and then the Sundered hills can depose of him as we see fit after we take back the reach and establish our superiority." I said, now I had Esmeralda's attention. "And then Esmeralda can eat the eyeballs of that annoying morsel?" She asked "If that is what you wish Matron." I said, the Hag shrieked in delight. "You shall be announced as the Chieftain of the Sundered Hills tonight at dusk. Under the light of the great moons." She said. I smiled to her "Thank you wise matron." I said to her respectfully and she nodded. With that I turned and left, ever eager to get away from the old hag.

Kaie

"We are leaving Thonar! You have tainted the Reach with your damnable silver long enough!" Roared Madanach in outrage, there were twenty of us, forsworn ten of whom we had just liberated from Cidna mine, we were in complete war garb. The men wore their helms of the old gods and we wore our war headdresses. There were me and four other women. I had my axe at my side, and my hand was dripping with frosty mist. I was ready to strike on his signal.

"Foolish Madanach, you are not leaving, no one escapes Cidna Mine! No one, you shall pay for what you did to my wife." The foolish Silver-Blood Patriarch said angrily. He drew a steel sword, and the guards behind him stood ready for combat. Then Madanach struck him down swiftly and mercilessly. The foul Silver-Blood was the first to fall. "For the FORSWORN!" Roared Madanach and the rest of us joined the cry. We charged the guards and I split one of their skulls with my axe, and I hurled a spike of ice at another, striking him directly in his chest sending him flying over the raised stone street.

The Markarth guards fought back desperately, townspeople were running screaming. We were killing anyone who got in our way, whether they were townspeople, merchants or guards. They were all felled by our swords. Druadach the Orc went with a few other forsworn from the prison that I did not know well, I only spoke to him in passing. They went to the Silver blood in, and three more began fighting their way to the treasure house of the Silver bloods. Druadach set fire to the Silver-Blood inn. And screams came from inside as people were being slaughtered. I summoned a frost atronach to deal with a large group of guards who were preparing to engage me. Madanach and I and a few others were fighting our way to the city gates.

A nord townsmen passed by when he was trying to flee, but I turned swiftly and took his head from his shoulders and kicked it down into the tainted water that flowed through the smelter district.

We eventually fought our way to the city gates and broke out of them. We fled off into the night, we had spilled much blood, but that was only a fraction of what was to come. We took off leaving the roads for the woods instead. The strange traveler that left with us did not leave us he stayed. I had heard he had a big hand in the escape, and making it possible. "Madanach I am returning to the Sundered hills, I shall tell them of your escape." I said to him while running "God speed Kaie." He said to me, as I took off in a different direction.

Xaxa

"People of the Sundered hills, I present you with your new Chieftain, your king Xaxa Red Eagle the third." Esmeralda said in her raspy voice to all of those who were gathered. Everyone in the Sundered Hills was in attendance for my coronation. The Sundered Hills erupted with cheers of celebration. The people brought out drinks and wines, they showered me with gifts, and tokens.

Esmeralda gave me a hawk bone necklace, that had a ruby and an emerald where the eye sockets were. I was presented with a bone crown, the supposed crown of the original red eagle, and someone had delved deep into the rebels' cairn and brought me the famous sword of Red Eagle. With this sword I promised my people that I would return the Reach to them. My people had been waiting a long time for this, we would soon strike at Markarth and the other tribes would hopefully follow after the Sundered Hills and raise arms against the nord occupiers. The nords sang a song that said the age of oppression was just about done, well that was the same for my people, and the Reach as well.

"The Reach will be ours again!" I roared and my people cheered my name, and the name of Red Eagle. A group of ten briar hearts came and hoisted me up above them. Esmeralda and her sisters had been busy creating many briar hearts to serve as what they called our Honor Guard. I saw Kaie at the far side of the crest of the hill standing and smiling at me with pride. I spoke to the Briar hearts telling them to put me back down so I could speak with her, and they did as I asked. I walked over to Kaie and the cheering crowd parted for me. "So it would seem the Sundered Hills has a new king once more." She said joyful. I nodded "Aye that they do." She smiled and then embraced me, and then pulled back and planted a passionate kiss on my lips. The feeling was amazing, it felt like electricity was shooting through me from the intensity of the kiss.

"Madanach is free once more by the way. He is in Druach Redoubt to the northwest, he would want to speak with you." She said once she broke the kiss. "Kaie the Auld Alliance broke apart years ago, never again shall the Sundered Hills kneel to someone who does not bare the title of The Red Eagle." I said firmly. "I know but Xaxa the people need to be unified more then ever, at least hear about what he has to say." She pleaded "I shall Kaie, because you asked me, and Esmeralda more or less has agreed to hear his words upon her ears. But there will be no promises. The Sundered Hills shall not bow to someone we can't trust to lead us right." I said. She nodded curtly. I heard shuffling from behind us and the drag of talons. I turned to see Esmeralda had walked up to us while the rest of the people were celebrating.  
"To seal the bond between you, the sword, and red eagle himself, on this night you must use the sword to spill blood as is tradition morsel." Esmeralda said to me in her raspy voice. Her dark feathers had fallen leaving a trail behind her. "What would you have me do Matron, a blood sacrifice?" I asked her "No, not the blood of innocent, the blood of the invaders." She said, she now had my attention. "I heard the meat behind you talk of Madanach, I will speak to the boy, but he will know his place, we shall leave to speak with him at dawn." She said clearly annoyed.

"Anyway there is a settlement of the nords nearby, they call it Kolskeggr mine. Take some warriors, and a briar heart and slaughter the nord denizens who dwelt there." She said with finality. "Of course Matron." I said to her respectfully bowing to her as she turned and hobbled back off to her tower. I went to go gather some men to do this deed of vengeance.


	3. Raid on Kolkeggr

A forsworn tale

Chapter 2: Raid on Kolskeggr mine

Xaxa Red

I gathered up fourteen men and six women including Kaie and told them we were about to strike Kolskeggr mine and kill all who dwelled there in celebration of my crowning as The Red Eagle. This act I told them was to sanctify the bond between me and the blade. Through that bond it would also create a bond between me and the blades original owner the original Red Eagle. We left the Sundered Hills in the night silently and hugged the edge of the roads silently. We came upon a house that was built at the base of the mountain that led to a trail going up to a mine. Me and two others silently crept up to the house. I kicked in the door, and the Ravager and the Pillager that had come up to the house rushed in. there were a few miners who were playing cards who jumped back. One fell over two raised their hands and got on their knees, one was a nord who reached for an axe. He was killed first by the Ravager. He stabbed him in the chest fourteen times in rapid succession.

"Stop kinsmen in the names of the old gods don't kill me and my friend here!" Shouted one of the ones with his hands up, I looked to him and his friend closer and realized they had native Reachmen traits. "What are your names and the names of your families?" I asked him. "My name is Taahn and this is Koril. We are both from the family of Druuin, of the eastern clans of Karthspire tribes." He said to me. "Then rise and take up arms against your oppressors." I said to him as the pillager decapitated the nord who had took to hiding under his bed like we were stupid. He paid for the deeds of his ancestors.

We continued into Kolskeggr mine and slaughtered those who lied within, it was a merciless slaughter, and we relished in it. I brought my steel sword across one of the miners' chests. He tried to defend himself with a pickaxe. And he died with it in his hand. I turned and asked the ravager who came in with me what his name was. He replied "Zand, that is my name." I nodded and brought my forsworn sword down on a fleeing miners' head. His blood spewed forth like the rumored red mountain's ash cloud in the far away land called Morrowind.

"The Reach belongs to the forsworn!" I roared as I tore into the flesh of several miners with my sword. Eventually all the miners were put to the sword, and we were victorious. I left the mine with most of our party, a few opted to stay back in case the nords came back. We cheered as we returned to the Sundered hills, our home. We celebrated all night, we knew that this could very well be our final night on Mundus. I drank 'til I could drink no more, and eventually I blacked out.

The Next Morning….

Xaxa Red

I woke up to a groggy start, and I felt the presence of a body beneath me. I turned and saw that it was Lukaia, a nice looking woman with reddish brown hair. She was known to be a decent fighter, she was a forager I think. I rose from where I lay and slid out of bed, she woke up before I could be fully clothed and leave the tent. "Someone slept like a rock after sex." She said softly, she had a smirk on her face. I just grumbled "Yeah whatever, get up there are things that need to be done." I said and she giggled, and rose from my resting place, dressed herself and left.

I had a splitting head ache from the alcohol that was looted from Kolskeggr mine. I stumbled out of the tent. Outside was a hideous sight to behold. Esmeralda the hagraven was waiting for me the look on her ancient features was that of impatience. "Greetings in the name of the old gods." I said to her holding up my right hand with my fingers spread out in a sign of respect.

"Spare me the groveling Faolan." Esmeralda said in a raspy voice. Faolan? The name of my ancestor. "Faolan?" I asked confused, Esmeralda gave me a look of agitation. "Yes Faolan, you are the red eagle now, the true Reach king first and foremost among Reachmen, you are lord of the reach the first Red Eagles direct descendant, by all rights that name is your morsel." She said, I was used to her calling me morsel, or meat but not Faolan, though it had a nice ring to it.

"Did you need me?" I asked, and she huffed in annoyance. "Yes did you forget meat? We are to meet that foolish morsel Madanach today. I have ten briarhearts waiting at the entrance to the red eagle redoubt." She said shuffling off with her staff in hand. She left no room to debate, that was normal for her. When we arrived at the base of the redoubt just like she said, ten briarhearts were waiting. They were members of the honor guard. They stood at attention, lately I had been training the troops to be more organized in their movements, and it was starting to pay off.

"We leave for Druadach redoubt; first we must stop by Karthspire, so that our allegiants there will know the face of their true king. Karthspire has enough troops to overrun the north and reign them in if need be." Esmeralda said indifferently. Nobody dared to object. So we walked to Karthspire in the woods away from the road, and were met with their chieftain, his name was Vokar. He gave Esmeralda a salute of respect, and me as well. We didn't talk much, but he took his delegation which bolstered our own and we marched to Druadach redoubt.

Finally we arrived and the guards raised their troops. For a minute it looked like a trap and the briarhearts, and the men from Karthspire drew their weapons. I drew the swords I had been given, Red Eagles fury and an Elder sword of the Old Gods from my sides. I was ready for a fight, but the guards told us to stay our arms. Then finally Madanach came out with Kaie, who I recently found out was his daughter, and her sister Eithne.

"Why have you called Madanach?" I shouted, he beckoned us forth, and our large delegation entered the redoubt. It was a cave in the mountains with essentially all that was needed for a tribe, well a small one anyway. Esmeralda locked eyes with a goat, and she kept staring at it. Madanach grew uncomfortable, and so did everyone else. "I am hungry." She finally said in her ancient voice. Then she pointed to the goat. Nobody argued with her nobody dared, and she began shuffling towards it. Then she used a burst of speed, I never thought she could move as quickly as she did, and she tore into the goat with her talons. A few people grimaced. She ate the goats flesh, and it's insides, its eyeballs, everything. Then she returned as if nothing happened. I cleared my throat "Anyway is there a reason you called?" I asked impatiently. Madanach nodded "I called upon you because the Reach needs to be united if we are to take her back." He said.

I laughed and a few others did to "So what are you saying you should lead?" I snorted. "Well I lead us before I should do it again." He said "And look where that got us last time. Listen the entire south bows to me. I hold Karthspire which is crucially to either side. And they are with me, I am the Red Eagle. The Reach shall be led by me." I said, and he glowered at me. My briarhearts laughed. I laughed "Listen to take back the Reach we shouldn't fight each other we should band together." He said "I shall not bend knee to you Madanach, and neither will the Sundered hills." I said defiantly.

Just then I heard weapons being drawn, I saw the people of Druadach getting ready to fight, and then so did my party. "If you will not join the cause of a united reach, then you shall be ousted descendant of Red Eagle." Madanach said angrily, and I drew my sword Red Eagles fury. The situation grew tense, but before anyone could make a move Esmeralda spoke up.

"Stop this all of you!" She rasped and everyone stopped. "I sense something great here from that girl." She said pointing toward Kaie. Everyone eyed Kaie "Sithis has spoken in my dreams of one who would bear the next Faolan after the current Red Eagle." She continued, then she pointed back to Kaie. "To unite the Reach, north and south. That girl shall bear Faolan's child." She said pointing between me and Kaie. I stared at her "Esmeralda you must be mistaken." I said, just then she shrieked in outrage. "You would dare question your matron?" she asked and I shook my head. "No matron." I said respectfully "My apologies, I merely forgotten myself if only for a moment." She looked appeased.

She then continued on "She is the key to the united Reach, she has spent much time at the Sundered Hills, your eyes have been upon each other. It is decreed by Anu, and Sithis themselves." She said. "Well then who are we to argue?" Madanach said, knowing that he would not win against the words of a hag. I nodded, I did like Kaie but I didn't know it would happen like this. I looked at her, but she looked away from me. That is what I feared, what I didn't want, to force her into something, she turned and left, her sister Eithne giving me a dirty look, and then walking away behind her.

"Madanach you will have our alliance, but not our allegiance. The Sundered Hills shall bow to no one but the first among reachmen the Red Eagle." I said and the men who came with me nodded and commented their approval. Esmeralda nodded towards me. "We should return to the Sundered hills, the raid on Kolskeggr is sure to have drawn the attention of the oppressors by now." She said and she turned to leave, but before she left she turned to Madanach "Come to the Sundered hills in three days time. You will know what to do." She said and shuffled out of the cave followed by me and flanked with our Briarhearts. Things were about to turn really bloody.

To be continued…


	4. Unity the Axe that Falls in the Night

Blood of the Reach: A forsworn Tale

A/N: sorry I didn't tell anyone about the name change ahead of time, I always did feel for the Forsworn in Skyrim. And this is a story I have written so that they can have their moment of glory, a moment they truly deserve. Also warning this is a forsworn story, and I write with the rawest detail I can imagine, there will be acts of brutality, and savagery on both sides, which is to be expected of the Forsworn and the Nords of Skyrim, and there will be some graphic depictions of sex, and things of that nature, and hagraven beatings, because Esmeralda can lose patience with Xaxa pretty quickly. This is a story about the forsworn; you should already know what it is you are getting into by reading this story. Yours truly The Last Dragonborn Warrior.

Chapter 3: Unity, The axe that falls in the dark

Xaxa Faolan Red's point of view

We had returned to the Sundered Hills from the Druadach mountains at night fall. The people were well into their nightly activities. The Sentries were standing alert at the Sundered Towers, and at the entrance to Red Eagle redoubt. Our allies from Karthspire came with us to make sure we got back alright. "You will hear from us soon Vokar, we may need Karthspire to bring the south under our banner." I said to him and he nodded. "Of course Red Eagle." Vokar turned and began to leave. "Oh and Vokar, have your men ready I will be coming at dawn. I think it is time we drove the Nords from the town of Karthwasten, they have been harassing natives who live there and I think it is time we show them we mean business." I said "Of course Reach king." He said and he turned with his men and left for Karthspire.

I ran swiftly to catch up to Esmeralda "Matron, do you think the nords will strike soon?" I asked her and she looked at me. Her beady black eyes showed caution, it was like she was afraid. "Come to my tower Xaxa." She said to me. I nodded and She and I walked to her tower. We ascended to the top of the tower, and she went to her alchemy station for a minute, muttering to herself about some kind of poison, then she returned to where I sat.

"Faolan, do you truly know your lineage?" she asked, I nodded "My ancestor was the great Red Eagle, my mother was named Luakie. My father was a great warrior." I said."Do you know how old I am Faolan?" she asked in a raspy voice. I shook my head "No but I know you were older then my mother, is that correct?" I said. She nodded "I was alive when Faolan was alive. I knew him very well Faolan. I knew him well because I birthed him. He was my son, that makes me your ancient grandmother if you will." She said, I stared at her blankly. Esmeralda was an ancestor of mine. I didn't believe it.

"Are you jesting matron?" I asked in disbelief. "Why would I joke about this!" she shrieked in irritation, "No I am not joking." She said annoyed. "Is that why you call me Faolan so distantly, like you are missing something?" I asked her, and she nodded. "When I look at you I see much of him, I can sense his soul in your being. You are him, in every essence. You are the second coming of my son, The great Faolan, the Red Eagle, first and foremost among reach men. True lord of the reach Xaxa." She said proudly and I smiled at her. I was actually kind of crept out that the hagraven Esmeralda, who they brought me before at my birth was actually related to me.

"You eyes are black like that of Faolan's when he became a briarheart, you are a natural born briarheart, you have a massive reservoir of strength all you need to do is allow the floodgates to open. And you will be unbeatable." Esmeralda said with finality. "Now rest young Faolan, we must free the people of Karthwasten, they are mostly native reachmen and will most likely join our cause." Esmeralda said with a serious tone. "One more question, matron." I said to her and she perked up. "Yes?" "Well I always wondered why you call everyone meat, and morsel." I said "Why is that?" I asked. She looked at me with a look that said seriously.

"I call people meat because that is what they are, meat. I say morsel because meat is a morsel." She said annoyed. A grin broke out across my face, and I had the stupidest idea ever. "So matron, it is not that you have the desire to eat people?" I said jokingly, joking with Esmeralda, a hag! Had I gone completely mad!? She looked at me for a second blankly. Then she began shuffling over to her alchemy table, I didn't see what she was reaching for.

When she turned around she had a branch from a juniper tree, she moved toward me before I could react, grabbing hold of me. "Insolent child!" she shrieked before hitting me over the backside with the switch, like I was a child again, and like she was my mother. "How dare you try to embarrass me!" she shrieked and I screamed half laughing while she hit me top to bottom with the branch. A briarheart came running up into the room. But she waved him away.

"Esmeralda I'm sorry!" I yelled, while laughing. The briarheart didn't leave, he started laughing as well. "You are just like Faolan! Insolent! Just like my son! Insolence! And because of that I shall treat you like I did him!" she shrieked hitting me with the stick. Of course it hurt, but I couldn't stop laughing. "You think this is funny!?" she exclaimed outraged. "Yes!" I yelled laughing, and she hit me with the branch again. "This is funny huh?!" she yelled, then she hit me with the stick, somewhere I would have preferred not to be hit.

"Ouch! Okay, okay I'm sorry!" I yelled it submission. I heard the briarheart suck in a sharp breath. "That's gotta hurt." He said, trying to contain his mirth. I shot a glare at him while I was holding my crotch in pain. "Shut up." I snapped at him, and he laughed even harder. "Don't get mad at me because you decided it would be a good idea to piss off the matron." He said laughing.

"Now get out of my tower!" Esmeralda yelled, but I could hear the slightest trace of humor and amusement in her voice. I got up not worrying about my crotch any longer and bolted. I heard Esmeralda sigh. "What am I going to do with that one." She said, and the briarheart continued to laugh. "Aldritch, you get out as well before you get the same treatment!" I heard her shriek. And he turned and left as well not arguing. I went to my tent to rest I knew I would have a long day ahead of me tomorrow.

-scene break-

The next morning….

Xaxa Faolan Red

The next morning had come faster than I thought it would I, but I was glad It came I dressed myself in my Armor of the old gods, and then I grabbed the golden torc I had been given at my coronation by Esmeralda and laid it across my neck. apparently the nords had been building an army in Karthwasten or nearby, and the guard there had been doubled. And they were treating the natives there horribly, well no longer, that would end today. We had marched to Karthspire, it was me and as many warriors as could be spared while still not leaving the Sundered hills unguarded. I had with me at least a hundred fifty men and women, we had arrived in Karthspire, they had ready around roughly two hundred men and women. We had at least thirty briarhearts and twenty shamans with us and we would be doing this without Madanach. He was still building his numbers in the north.

"Remember my brothers, that I stand before you not as just the incarnate, and second coming of red eagle, but as a fellow reachmen. First and foremost among you yes, but that does not change the fact that this land is our home, that we are one. Not just I but we shall be known as the untamed spirit of the reach, like red eagle, unbowed and unbroken!" I began to speak to them with rising vigor and ferocity, to steel their hearts. "If we shed one drop of blood on this land, then we live in the land we love forever. Here with our ancestors reaching far into the past, and with our children reaching far into the future. The spirits are with us, and the hags are with us. And our land cries out for blood! The BLOOD OF NORDS! The blood of the occupiers, of the oppressors!" I roared and my forces went into an uproar, chanting my name in the hills. I wanted the nords to know it was I who was coming for them.

"They sing songs that this is their home and it is their land. But they are wrong. We are the forsworn, we are those who must pillage our own lands, and burn them to the ground. We bury our sons and daughters on land we cannot yet claim, but that shall end today, today marks the beginning of a new era. This land is ours, and we will cut a bloody hole in it until we have our own kingdom again! We are the forsworn, and THE REACH WILL BE OURS AGAIN!" I roared, and my warriors responded in kind.

"Forward to Karthwasten, then to Markarth!" I yelled, and then it was like a wave of fury rushed forth toward Karthwasten, and the empires camp that was nearby. We rushed forth, and once we reached Karthwasten, the occupiers there went into a frenzy, the guards there were trying to ready a defense, but we had surrounded the town. There was but thirty guards there, and we outnumbered them.

I heard the sounds of mages armor being cast, I cast a mage armor spell of my own. Then I drew my sword Red Eagles fury, and my elder sword of the old gods, and charged directly at a town guardsmen. "Come! Come and face the forsworn!" I shouted as he readied his sword, but I was to quick. He swung his sword in an arc, but I ducked and rolled onto the ground swiftly moving passed him. I was behind him in seconds, I ran him through from behind with my swords, and then I took his head off his shoulders, spraying gouts of blood into the air.

"Death to the nords!" I roared, and a shaman used her staff to blast apart several guardsmen. "Rise up native Reachmen of Karthspire! Rise up against your oppressors for Red Eagle commands it. The time of our oppression is over, and the time to rise up and take what is rightfully ours is at hand!" I bellowed trying to rally the natives. Many of them complied, they picked up pitchforks, axes, and other items, some even had swords, and most of them began to engage in the battle with us. And so it began, our struggle for the Reach finally began, and I was happy and proud of my people, proud of who I was.

"Die you damned natives!" Bellowed a nord warrior in full steel plate who was fighting with the guardsmen. He had taken down several of our warriors by the time I noticed him, I knew our sheer numbers would overwhelm him, but I wanted to take him down myself. To show the nords that even the strongest among the nords would be no match for our wrath. He looked like a sell sword from the looks of him. He had a hulking greatsword in his hands. I would be the one to smite him. "Come on then! Face the forsworn, and the fury of RED EAGLE!" I bellowed charging him. Red eagle's fury was poised for the attack. He swung his greatsword in a massive arc, and I dove to the ground, and slid under his mighty swing.

I jumped up and slashed my forsworn sword at a chink in his armor, my sword hit the chink, it was in his leg. He roared in pain, and swung his sword again. More clumsily as I had injured his leg. I ducked again, then weaved once more as he brought the sword around again. That is when I saw my opportunity, I drove Red Eagles fury directly into the chink between his neck and shoulder plates. He gasped a ragged breath as he fell to one knee.

He still had his greatsword in his hand, and he tried to raise it weakly. I smiled cruelly at him, my golden torc gleaming in the morning sun. I kicked the sword from his hands, and tossed it aside. I decided I would make a game of this. I ripped his helmet from his head, so I could look upon his visage. He had golden blonde hair with four braids in the front and one going down to the back. He had two stripes of blue war paint going down his face. He had a small beard that was tied in a knot.

I motioned for him to reach for his sword. He was bleeding profusely, I had missed his throat by mere inches somehow. "Go on, grab it." I said to him cruelly. He crawled to his sword to my amusement. He reached it and grabbed it and tried to lift it, but I put a foot down on his wrist hard. I shook my head at him, I had removed my headdress, letting him see my all black eyes, and my cruel smile. I made a clicking noise with my teeth and my gums. "Fool did you really think I would allow you the chance to continue fighting?" I asked him cruelly.

"Fuck you, filthy animal." He said spitting on me. I shook my head in mock disappointment. "And here I was thinking you foolish nords were capable of being somewhat civil." I said mockingly. "Funny you would talk about being civil, Wildman." He choked out, not coughing up blood. "I'm the barbarian, yet here you are mighty nord, at my feet. At the tip of my blade." I said cruelly. "Anyway before you die, who sent you here." I asked now glaring at him. "The silver-bloods, who else. They own your land." He said trying to anger me. "You think by angering me, that I will make your death quicker by killing you." I said, more of a statement, than a question.

"Oh the wild animal has at least half a brain." He said still trying to mock me. I ignored that comment. I just took notice that the battle had ended and there were a few nord villagers being held as prisoners. "What is your name?" I asked him, smiling at the dying man. "My name is Jorvaar." He said through a fit of coughing blood. "Do you have any family? I'll at least send make sure there is something for them to bury." I told him, though I was lying. "I have a family in Markarth. My wife and two children her name is Drelka." He told me. "I lied to you, after you die I am going to raise your body, and send you to kill them or I will have your children sacrificed to the dread father, ,and your wife will be torn apart by angry hagravens, after she has been ravaged by a legion of briarhearts." I told him cruelly. He looked at me in horror, about to utter something, but I gave him no time to respond. I drove Red Eagles fury directly into his throat, and then moved it swiftly back and forth taking off his head.

I lifted it up and held it high for all to see, my warriors cheered my name in triumph. "Deliver this as a gift to the Esmeralda at the sundered hills!" I ordered one of the briarhearts who had come with us.

"What shall we do with the prisoners?" asked Vokar. "Take the women and have them sent to Karthspire, and each camp in the south. You can do with them as you please, and then send them to the city gates of Markarth." I said to him. "Do you think the nords get the message?" he asked. I motioned toward the woman and the dead. "They are the message Vokar." I said to him and he nodded. A few Nordic women who had taken up the cause to fight against us, were either put down, or the ones who were taken prisoner suffered a fate worse then death.

They were brutalized and tortured, I left the area, I did not want to bare witness to those acts, I told someone to send for me when it was finished. I waited what seemed like hours, and then someone came to find me, it was a young Shaman. Her name was Aeihe, she had a look of wonder on her face. Her eyes swept over me swiftly, I didn't feel uncomfortable at all. She was beautiful, she had soft brown hair, large brown eyes, small round nose, she had a nose ring made of gold. Her forsworn armor left little to the imagination, and it looked good on her, she had nice breasts, from what I could see, and she had curves in all the right places. This was going to end well I could tell.

"Are you going to listen to what I have to say, or are you going to continue looking at my breasts like some old Letcher?" she asked a hint of amusement in her tone. I snapped back to reality. "Yes are they done whatever they have been doing up there?" I asked and she nodded. "nasty bit of business it was, but they are done." She said disgusted. "Tell them I said have them saddled, and have the horses driven to the Markarth city gates." I said and she nodded. "Also come see me later on tonight." I said to her, and she nodded a smile on her face.

She turned and went back up the pathway to Karthwasten, I followed her lead. I reached the top of the hill, and I saw several women tied to horses, near death, as well as many other butchered enemies. Vokar and his men were cheering as they spurred the horses and sent them on the road to Markarth.

"Let the nords know the cost of facing the Forsworn!" he roared, and many warriors cheered at that, then they saw me and their cheers grew even louder.

-Scene break-

Back at the Sundered hills…..

Aeihe had followed us back to our camp, and she was sitting on my lap now, dead drunk and so was I. we were gathered by a fire, and the entire sundered hills was reveling in the night, we all knew this could very well be our last night on nirn.

"Take me somewhere quieter." Aeihe whispered in my ear, and I smirked and nodded. I lifted her up and rose to my feet and began to go down in the direction of the rebel's cairn. "Don't make too much noise!" I heard Esmeralda call to me her raspy ancient voice, and several forsworn laughed along with her. I had never seen that old hag in a more jubilant mood. She rarely came out of her tower to join in on our revelries, and antics. Before I left for the spot I wished to take her I grabbed some furs and skins to cover the rough ground.

Aeihe, and I finally reached the area near the rebel's cairn. It was an outcropping in the rocks by a juniper tree that would provide decent seclusion. I didn't intend to have sex in the tomb of my forefathers. I could even imagine my ancestors spirit, getting off to what was about to happen. A shiver went down my spine.

"What's wrong?" Aeihe asked me, I had forgotten I was carrying the young shaman in my arms. "Nothing, cariad." I told her, and she giggled at me calling her that. I finally set us down then laid down the furs, and skins, then she finally crawled on top of me from where she was sitting next to me. She straddled me and intentionally pressed into me. A smirk was on her face. I cupped the back of her head and pulled her in for a passionate kiss. She moaned into my throat, as she opened her mouth, and our tongues fought for dominance.

I eventually won and my tongue entered her mouth and she moaned even louder into my throat. A low, primal grow emanated from deep within my throat. I reached under the top of her armor, and squeezed her one breasts, they were soft and perky, from what I could tell. She wriggled on top of me, and I felt myself begin to harden. She moaned into my mouth, and she began to undulate on top of me. I broke the kiss, and began kissing her down her neck, and shoulders, while simultaneously groping her left and right breast.

Finally I took off the top half of her armor, and began kissing her trailing down to her navel and to her neck again. She moaned, and ran her hands through my long hair. "Xaxa….." she began and I shushed her with another kiss. Finally I felt my frustration built up enough, and I removed the lower half of her armor. She gasped as I began kissing her lower and lower.

"Xaxa wait…" she began, and I made a muffled groaning sound. "What." I gasped out. "Please…. Be gentle….. it's the…. first time….. I'd be… doing this." She gasped out through ragged breaths.

"Then we can take it slow." I told her, as I worked her hands to the lower half of my armor. She removed it with a little trouble and I had to help her. Then I took off the top half of my armor, and we continued, stark naked near my forefather's burial cairn. I silently asked for his blessing to be bestowed upon me.

"Aeihe… are you ready for this?" I asked her, and she looked at me blushing, and then she finally nodded. "I am." She said, and I lifted her up slightly and began to ease her down on top of my sex. She threw her head back and gasped, then began to whimper. I saw tears forming in her eyes.

"Just keep your eyes on me, just continue to look into my eyes." I told her trying to encourage her; I didn't wish to hurt her. I finally reached her maidenhead, slowly as I could, while being as gentle as I could.

"This next part is going to hurt. You know I heard that if you think Markarth's smelter district it will ease the pain." She looked at me quizzically. "Why only thing there is the stink of smelting silver and tainted…AAAAAAHHH!" she cried out before she could finish as I bucked wildly into her.

"You bastard, you distracted me by talking about thinking about Markarth to distract me." She snapped. "Sorry I thought it would be easier for you and I figured it'd be better for you if I got it over with quickly." I told her, and she nodded "At least it's over now." She said, and I continued to go to work. She undulated on top of me, moaning softly and throwing back her heads crying out my name.

I pulled her down to me to kiss me several more times, and she moaned my name into my throat and it boosted my sex drive. I said her name softly as well. I finally began to feel her tense up and she let out loud cries of pleasure. I finally felt my other self tell me it was just about over. We climaxed at the same time, and I saw a look of pure ecstasy flash across her features. The wind blew her hair and it made her look even more beautiful. Finally it ended as I thrust the remainder of my build into her. After we finished I slid out of her, and pulled her close. She continued kissing my chest.

"Faolan…" She cried and I shook my head. "That is a formality, call me Xaxa. You need not to be formal with me, we are one." I told her, and I felt as though I saw a face looking at me from above. It looked familiar to mine, but it had some differences. I felt as though I was looking into the eyes of my ancestor Faolan the first Red Eagle. He seemed to be nodding with a smile upon his face. Then his face disappeared within the stars above.

"Aeihe, you are mine now and I am your. Will you stay in the Sundered Hills?" I asked her and she nodded. "As long as you desire me to be here, I shall." She said, and I shook my head. "I only want you to stay if you want to stay." I told her, and she kissed me softly. "I do." She said.

At that moment I felt guilty, I forgot all about Kaie, and I frankly did not care. I didn't want to be forced to marry her, and now that it seemed that would most likely happen, I frankly didn't even want her. Call me a ass hole if you want, that is my choice, and I made it right there and then.

To be continued….

A/N: thank you that is the third chapter in the story Blood of the Reach. What will be in store for the alliance between the Northern and Southern Reach, nobody will know. Yes I made Xaxa ultimately cheat on Kaie, but so what, you forget he is forsworn and he is a man. And he has a mans needs like everyone else. Frankly I don't think he would take kindly to being told otherwise. Also Esmeralda the hagraven since they are technically related she will be taking on a more motherly role. Like disciplining him for one, I would say not always tree branches but a lightning bolt to his back side would be entertaining if you ask me. Good bye for now and once again yours truly The Last Dragonborn Warrior.


	5. A message out of Reach

Blood of the Reach

A/N: the pun in the chapter name is definitely intended, and I do not regret a thing. I would also like to hear what you all think of my story and the characters so far, so please leave me a review they help, also I am deciding to take serious liberties and there will explicit content. Warning if you don't like implied hagraven procreation, skip this chapter, I will leave chapter warnings when they may occur. I also wish to thank Ms. Katonic, as I decided to use her elements from her fandom for the base of this story, also I have been contemplating moving my works to An Archive of our Own, it is just a forethought though. Yours Truly, The Last Dragonborn Warrior. Enjoy.

Chapter 4: A message out of Reach

Xaxa Faolan Red

I awoke the next morning with a bit of a hangover. I had carried Aeihe back to my tent in the night. It was on the summit of Red Eagle Ascent. High up above the rest of the area, She was sleeping soundly in my arms. I didn't want to wake her, so tried to move slowly, but she awoke anyway. She smiled at me warmly and kissed me. "Good morning." She said softly. Her voice sounded like music to my ears. "Good morning macreena." I told her softly, and she giggled at that as she rose from our resting place. I placed another kiss on her, and then I turned to get ready.

"You should get ready, knowing Esmeralda she likes to awaken early, and I bet she is waiting outside the tent right now." I said to her jokingly. "Yes she is!" I heard her ancient voice call from outside the tent. I looked to Aeihe and she laughed "You better not keep her waiting." She told me. "Yes you shouldn't! You can fondle the pretty shaman later!" she called, and I felt my face flush. I knew I was turning red.

"Okay okay I'm coming." I told her. I turned to Aeihe "I will return soon." I told her. And she nodded, rising from where she sat and grabbing her staff.

I left the tent and I saw Esmeralda looking at me impatiently. "Finally, you insist on keeping an old women waiting." She said. "You're not a women Esmeralda you are a witch that turned into a half bird!" I told her sarcastically. She glared at me, but before I could react she shocked me with a spell.  
"Ach! Why!?" I groaned "Stop being a smart ass." She said shocking me again. "What is it with you and abuse?!" I exclaimed and she chuckled. "You don't even know abuse." She said "Ever heard of the ritual of the hag?" she asked and I nodded "I do not know the details." I told her. "Well think of how Molag Bal makes new daughters of Coldharbour, now imagine that but it is a bunch of angry and sexually frustrated hagravens." She said laughing.

I thought about what she said for a moment, and then her words finally hit me. I keeled over and threw up. "Aww! Come on!" I groaned. She continued laughing at me. "That isn't funny that is just gross!" I cried. She laughed so hard she began to shriek and she pointed an old clawed finger at me and cackled.

"Esmeralda that is not funny!" I said keeling over feeling sick. The old hag just kept laughing. Just then Aeihe came out of my tent, to see the scene laid out before her. "What is going on?" she asked concerned "Is he okay?" she asked Esmeralda who continued cackling. "Oh he is fine dear morsel, he just learned about the ritual of Hagrapen." She said rubbing her claws together. Aeihe turned a little pale. I looked from her, to Esmeralda.

"Wait a minute, sexually frustrated and angry hagravens. And the ritual of Hagrapen?" I said "That is a substitute for Hag Rapin!" I yelled. Feeling sick all over, then Esmeralda said something I didn't want to hear. "Ever heard of the fist of fury?" she said a smile on her face.

"Okay Okay! I get the point already!" I yelled "What did you want anyway?!" I exclaimed. She looked like she just now remembered what she came here for. "Ah yes, Madanach and his people are coming here for a meeting, they should be here soon." She said, and then without another word she turned and left. Shuffling off to her tower then she turned and called over her shoulder "Get ready, and don't do anything stupid!" "I won't!" I said back.

Aeihe looked down at me with concern in her features. "Are you okay?" she asked me and I nodded, picking myself up off of the ground. "Yeah, I just think Esmeralda thrives off of my misery sometimes." I said to her, she just nodded. "You two clearly have a connection that much is obvious." She said, and I nodded. "She is my ancestors, forefather's mother. She is the mother of the first Red Eagle." I told her and she nodded.

"Kaie is coming today. Do not worry, she brings your father." Esmeralda told me, I perked up at this. "My father, my father is dead!" I exclaimed. Esmeralda gave me a knowing smile, that is untrue Faolan. He was taken, but not forgotten. You cannot marry Kaie. You will learn why soon enough. For now you must go to Dead Crone Rock, tell them that the Sundered hills calls upon them to join the fight."

My head was spinning, but I pushed it aside as I was about to receive orders from the matriarch.  
"What do you need matron?" I asked her, and I saw that familiar twinkle in her eyes. "Their matriarch is a rival of mine, Drascua." She told me. "But I cannot raise my hand against a hag. That is taboo, and dishonorable." I told her. "Say that Esmeralda calls upon her service or her death. It will then be hag business, and any who interfere you put them to the sword." She told me.

I nodded "When is Madanach arriving?" I asked her. She took a sense of foreboding. "He should be here when you get back. He is bringing with him his daughter Eithne, and Kaie. Faolan a lot shall be clear after today, but for now you must take dead crone rock." She told me "Take some briarhearts if you must, but go." She told me ushering me away and I obeyed. "Also your sister Raven shall be returning from her little venture to the other side of the country." Esmeralda said quickly with disapproval. "What!?" I exclaimed. "No time for talking! Go!" Esmeralda said shrieking, hastily ushering me out.

I looked to Aeihe as I was being rushed off "Do you want to come?" I asked her, and she nodded. "I'm not letting you go alone." She told me and I nodded. I went to go rally some warriors.

-scene break-

At Dead Crone Rock….

"halt! State your business!" cried out a guard. He looked at me nervously. He saw I brought a war party along with me. I had ten briar hearts and thirty miscellaneous warriors, and Aeihe.

"I seek audience with matriarch Drascua, at the request of matriarch Esmeralda." I announced. The guard visibly stiffened. It was no secret of Drascua, and Esmeralda's huge rivalry. Just then a briarheart came up behind the guard.

"What is going on?" he asked in a gruff voice.

"These people are from the sundered hills. They come seeking out Drascua." The guard said, the briarheart pushed him aside. He had the same eyes as me, all black opals, of cold hatred, but his had little trace of life.

"So you are Xaxa Faolan. We do not wish to speak with you imposter. Leave, or face our wrath!" the briarheart spat venomously.

"We come seeking Drascua in the name of Esmeralda." I said ignoring his threat. He gazed upon me in annoyance. Then an absent look appeared in his eyes as he communed with the hag who made him. We sat for a moment staring at him. Then at least twenty warriors rallied around their briarheart. And a look of life returned to his eyes.

"you are no match for Drascua, and a charge of Esmeralda is not welcome here. You now face your death!" the briarheart roared with hatred, then he lifted his hands and readied a fire ball, his warriors drew their swords, and ours did as well. I cast mage armor and about every warrior did so as well. The briarheart lobbed a fire ball at me, but I threw up a ward, to deflect the ball of flames.

Then Aeihe launched a deadly arc of lightning at the briarheart. It his him square in the chest and he was sent flying. Knowing briarhearts though that wasn't the end of it, but regardless the fight was on. Lightning bolts, ice spikes, and fire balls were being lobbed back and forth, as me and the briarhearts and warriors stormed the encampment.

"Come face the Sundered Hills!" I roared as I bore down on an unlucky warrior, and slashed at him wildly with my swords. He fell to the ground in a mangled heap. Aeihe was right behind me, with her staff. She lobbed lightning at one of the hostiles and it slammed into him with deadly force. He crumpled to the ground shaking. The lightning ravaged his body, and he didn't stand a chance. The briarheart had risen again as if Aeihe's previous attack had done nothing.

"Now you shall pay!" he roared, as I leapt for him with both my swords ready. He swung his sword in a high arch aimed for my head, but I parried and rolled to the side, stabbing him in the side of his abdomen. He bellowed in pain, and slashed at me again, but Aeihe lobbed a spike of ice at him at it hit him in the chest, mere inches from his briarheart.

It didn't kill him but it staggered him enough for me to knock him to the ground. I stabbed him in his stomach to keep him reeling. I stabbed his arm to hold him to the ground and I drove my hand through the leather straps holding his briarheart in his chest and tore it out. He shrieked in pain, seizing and foaming at the mouth before falling limp and dead.

I rose from him and nodded to Aeihe "come on let's move!" I shouted to her, just as I heard a shriek above the chaos of battle. Then I saw a hagraven it had to be matriarch Drascua driving her claws into a young female warrior.

"How dare you come here!" she shrieked in pure fury. Aeihe lobbed a lightning bolt in her direction. She turned in pure rage. "You! The toady of Esmeralda!" she shrieked pointing a gnarled clawed hand at me.

"Esmeralda calls for your death!" I bellowed. And the hag shrieked "She just wants nettlebane!" Drascua shrieked. "It must be returned to orphan rock!" she continued to shriek, lobbing an arc of lightning at me, but I managed to get a ward up in time. "Filthy louts, doing the bidding of Esmeralda! A pox on the Sundered Hills! We will never forget this disgrace!" she shrieked as Aeihe lobbed a series of fireballs at her.

I leapt after the hag while she was staggering from Aeihe's attack. She slashed wildly at me with her claws, but I sliced off her arm with Red Eagle's fury. 

"Damn you human! I'll devour your eyes!" she shrieked and she lunged at me, missing an arm. I weaved to the right and brought both of my swords down on her back as she passed with deadly force. She gave a feeble shriek, and a weak slash.

"You should have submitted!" I roared, as I proceeded to strike her in the chest with my swords, effectively ending her. I looked to the surrounding forsworn, who in turn had ceased fighting. Her briarhearts who she had three more of who were engaged with mine fell effectively at the death of their maker. The rest kneeled. "You shall swear fealty to the Sundered Hills, Esmeralda, Me and the forsworn now!" I bellowed to them and one of them nodded. She was a shaman with black hair.

"We do Red Eagle, we swear to you and the Sundered Hills." She said, and I nodded. "Betray me and there will be dire consequences." I said turning to look at Orthri, one of Esmeralda's many briarhearts going and picking up a green and black dagger, which I assumed was nettlebane, which is what Drascua mentioned.  
"We should take this to the matron." He said, no doubt Esmeralda gave him orders beforehand. So that was what she was after all along. I thought to myself as I shook my head.  
"Come on we must return to the Sundered Hills, we have guests." I said, before turning to leave with Aeihe at my back. The rest of our war party fell in line. I didn't tally the dead, but our numbers looked slightly lower than what they were when we had come, but not by much.

-scene break-

Raven ap Madanach

I had arrived at the Sundered hills at mid day. I had sent word to them that I would be returning. I had on Hircine's saviors hide, and the bear helmet of a fallen Stormcloak officer. I hated nords in general, but the Stormcloaks were among the worst. The first thing I see when I return is what looked like an old man with silver hair, and two other girls, arguing with the matriarch I grew up knowing. A guard tried to tell me something but I walked right passed him. I had a sack full of treasures, and I intended to dump it in my tent.

I came to the argument and waited on the outskirts. I gathered from this that they were arguing about my idiot brother Xaxa. I heard a lot about him, like lord of the reach, and king of the Sundered hills. Or chieftain anyway.

I waited five minutes before I decided to intervene, "Esmeralda! You deviant witch you!" I said throwing my arms around the hagraven from behind. This prompted an alarmed shriek from her, and she wheeled around a look of pure fury on her face, readying her destruction magic.

Then recognition flashed across her features. "Raven! Is that you!" she exclaimed in her ancient raspy voice.

"yes, it's me! I don't think my name has changed any." I said to her. And she smiled with all her sharp, and nasty teeth. Then I heard someone clear their throat in annoyance.

"And who is this interloper?" the voice of the old man called. A look of familiarity was about him. I narrowed my eyes, examining him. I definitely knew him from somewhere. "My name is Raven, who are you?" I asked equally annoyed.

"My name is Madanach ap Caradach. And you are?" the old man said. Suddenly a hollow realization hit me. And I knew a look of utter surprise took over my features. Panic began to rise in my chest. I began stepping back to leave. No, no, no, no, no! this man couldn't be my father! He couldn't be! My father was dead. Died in the Markarth incident. My mother Lukaia told me so.

"Her name is Raven Faolan Red!" Esmeralda shrieked quickly, she clearly grasped the severity of the situation. I looked at her graciously.  
"She is clearly related to Xaxa, look at her eyes." Said Kaie angrily. "By the way where is he?" she asked impatiently.

I looked to Esmeralda. "Yes where is my dear brother?" I asked, and the hag looked at me then to her, and then smiled.

"He should be returning any minute." The hag said and she began to cackle. Just as she said that the sentries gave a call that someone was returning. Then I heard the cheers of a war party. I turned to Esmeralda and said to her "Hey Esmeralda is there any alcohol. It sounds like a raiding party has returned and is victorious." She turned to me and smiled.

"That would be Xaxa right now actually." She said as a briarheart came running up from the redoubt. He kneeled to Esmeralda and presented her with a green and black ebony dagger. the hairs on my neck stood up. "Is that…" I began, but Esmeralda started cheering and snatched the dagger from the briarheart. "Yes it is! Thank you, you have done well." She said and bolted, just as Xaxa came running out of the exit to Red Eagle Redoubt, with some girl with a staff holding his hand.

"Wait a minute Esmeralda! I need to speak with you!" he called angrily, but the hag was already racing off to her tower cheering. Then he took notice of me standing there, his black eyes, as dark as ever. And they matched my own.

"Raven?" he gasped out and I nodded, as I pulled him into a tight embrace. We stayed like that for a few moments until someone behind us cleared their throat and I remembered we had guests. We broke the embrace and turned, Xaxa was the first to speak. 

"Ah Madanach, to what do I owe you this pleasure?" he asked with a politeness that was quite unlike him.

"You know why I am here Xaxa, what have you done?!" he yelled angrily. Xaxa only kept that pleasant mischievous grin plastered to his face. Madanach was not amused in the slightest. "You led the Sundered Hills and Karthspire to attack Karthwasten!" Madanach roared, more of a statement then a question.  
"Oh that, yes we did, a little statement for the nords to know who this land belongs to, we also over ran Kolskeggr. I presume you had your eyes on that mine yourselves?" Xaxa said, and Madanach's glare became deathly serious.

"Do you think this is a game boy?!" Madanach exclaimed, and that is when Xaxa showed his true colors. He was angry, he started walking towards Madanach, an angry glare on his face. I grabbed him by his arm, I knew this could get very ugly, very quickly.

"Xaxa relax, Stop!" I shouted, as he proceeded to push past me. Madanach drew his weapons as did the two girls who were with him.

"You think you're above us?! You know nothing of our struggles! You were locked away from our struggles for YEARS!" he shouted. I grabbed his arms, people started to gather around.

"Don't just stand there, help me!" I exclaimed, and then a few warriors came and helped me hold Xaxa back from whatever he was going to do.

Just then I heard shuffling and the dragging of claws behind me. Then I heard that ancient laugh I heard growing up. It was Esmeralda. "Oh all this family drama." She said shaking her head. I froze at that and Xaxa did the same.

"Family drama, what do you mean?" he said. "You cannot be with Kaie, your ties to her and Madanach run deeper than that." She said in a cryptic riddle. Curse her and her gods damned riddles. "Come there is much to discuss, to my tower, walk." Esmeralda said, clearly she was in one of her better moods. She motioned for Xaxa, Madanach, and his daughters, and me to follow. From the body language of her briarhearts none of us had a choice.

We walked to the tower that she designated as hers, and we entered a room with feathers all over the place. She clearly was 'roosting' in here, or whatever she did. She always said she roosts in her tower, old gods only know what she did up here.

"Sit down everyone." She said, one of her briarheart were in the doorway. "Fion you can go now, tell Din I need to speak with her later on." She said. I looked at the briarheart in the doorway in shock. "Fion so you really did it?!" I exclaimed, he nodded at me. "We'll talk later." He said leaving. Esmeralda gave me a knowing look.

"So why have we been dragged all the way up here?" Madanach exclaimed, and the two girls that were with him nodded and murmured their agreement. "You are here to discuss the ties between Madanach, and the Sundered Hills." Esmeralda said, and I didn't like where this was going.

"Do you remember Lukaia?" She asked, and Xaxa and I visibly tensed at the mention of our mother. Madanach stroked his beard musing. "The name I familiar yes, I may have had an 'involvement' with her." He said, and I didn't like the way he said involvement.

Esmeralda shook her head. "Your secrecy is not needed king in rags. These are her children. Raven, and Xaxa here." She said motioning toward us. Recognition flared in her eyes, and I tensed up. "Yeah we are her children, so what." Xaxa said, and Esmeralda gave him a look of annoyance.

"Faolan you are slow to grasp these things. Lukaia is your mother, but your father is…" she said trailing off, allowing him to piece it together. I could feel hot tears streaming down my face. Great now I look weak.  
The two girls gasped as they pieced everything together. "Wait a minute…." Xaxa began. "No. No it can't be, our father is dead! He died during the Markarth incident." Xaxa said, and Esmeralda shook her head. "Lokiil was not your father, but he was Lukaia's husband. He is your father!" Esmeralda said raising her voice a little. I shook my head.

Xaxa looked shocked, utterly shocked. "He is not our father. And Kaie and Eithne are not our sisters!" Xaxa yelled. "Why are you lying Esmeralda?" he exclaimed. "Faolan… calm down." I told him and he glared at me, eyes full of rage. "You knew about this?" he said pointing a finger at me accusingly.

"Faolan, I just found… I just found out he was alive" I stammered. He looked even angrier. "So you knew who our father was!?" He exclaimed in outrage. "You knew Lokiil was not our father!" he bellowed.

"I… Yes I did." I stuttered. "And you never saw fit to tell me. No one saw fit to tell me!" he roared, he then began to walk away. Madanach had tears streaming down his face. "Xaxa wait!" I pleaded with him. "Listen to me!" I begged him. He turned and glowered at me. "Do not follow me, if you value your life." He barked and then stormed out.

Kaie called after him but he didn't hear any of it. "oh no he's going to do something stupid!" I exclaimed running after him. I wouldn't speak to him, but I would be damned if I let him go and something happened to him.

Eithne looked at Madanach, a look of betrayal on her face. I didn't want to be a part of that conversation. I chased after my brother who probably wanted nothing to do with me at this point. Nobody dared to stop him, he just kept walking, down the redoubt and right passed the shaman girl he came back with who looked upon him with concern. He walked out into the open and continued to walk, he was walking toward the burial site of our mother. it was a wild guess but it was true. He came to a blooming juniper tree. It had an inscription in stone on a tablet marking her grave and Lokiil's grave.

Here lies Lukaia, descendant of the great king of the Sundered hills, Faolan the Red Eagle. The other marked here lies Lokiil, husband and lover to Lukaia, chieftain of the Sundered Hills. He knelt down and began sobbing. I walked up to him and I knelt down and embraced him. Tears brimming at my own eyes.

"Xaxa I…" I began but trailed off, as I rocked him back and forth. "Xaxa it's going to be okay." I said to him using a soft tone that I rarely used. He didn't say anything he just shook his head. "No it's not." He said and I felt my heart begin to break. My brother, whom I cared for so much, young, strong, and a warrior through and through, reduced to this.

"Where have you been Raven?" he gasped out. "I was in Riften, and then Solitude." I began but then I stopped. "Why did you leave Raven… Why did you leave the Reach… Why did you leave me?" he sobbed out. I couldn't answer him. In truth I left because I wanted to see the world before I died. But that excuse wouldn't be enough for my basically abandoning him. It wasn't even a good enough excuse for me.

"Promise you won't leave again Raven… They made me chieftain. The king of the Sundered Hills, but I can't do this alone Raven." He said looking me in the eyes, those black opals staring up at me pleading. That's when I made my decision that I was going to stay and fight for the Reach.

"I won't leave Xaxa. I promise that I'll stay this time." I told him. I would say anything to get the heartbroken look off my face. He smiled and nodded. "That's all I ask from you sister." He said. We heard a twig snap behind us and we both reeled, turning to see who dared come to this sacred place. It was Eithne and Kaie.

"Why are you here? This is sacred ground." I said. Kaie just looked to Xaxa, and Eithne's steely silver gaze locked into my Black one. "So this is where your parents were buried?" asked Kaie. I swear that girl is as dumb and air headed as they come. "Yes, they were burned on a pyre, and then some of their ashes were sprinkled and buried here, their birth place, and the rest sent into the Karth river. I was also born under this tree." Xaxa said. I was born here as well, but I didn't feel like our new found family should have the right to know of this.

"Listen Xaxa can we talk." Kaie said and he nodded. I was still very uneasy about Kaie and Eithne's presence, but I didn't object.

"What do you wish to talk about Kaie?" Xaxa said warily. "This situation…" Kaie began, but she trailed off. Xaxa met her gaze. "I hold nothing against you… sister." Xaxa said, he let the word roll off his tongue awkwardly. I stiffened at that, tears brimming in my eyes. I needed to leave, I wasn't going to let them see me cry.

I stood up to leave "I need to leave, Xaxa I will see you back at the camp." I began but he caught my arm. "Wait Raven, don't go, not yet." He said, I looked into his eyes, the emotion on my face showing through, he saw the tears brimming in my eyes, and he allowed me to leave.

I took off with a run and I kept going, I passed the Sundered hills and ran all the way past Karthspire, and I eventually just south of Karthspire. I was so distracted I didn't notice the clinking of metal until I looked up and saw I was surrounded by a party of Nord Mercenaries. They were heavily armed and they were not friendly.

"Well well well, look what we have here." One of them said cruelly. "Looks like she is a Reachwoman, one of the natives by the looks of her." Another spoke. "Who are you? What is your business here?" I spoke evenly though I was terrified. "We were being sent to investigate the happenings in Karthwasten and see if the forsworn were really rebelling. They sent women who were raped, and men who were butchered to the gates of Markarth. Know anything about this lass?" the one who was clearly their leader said.

"I know of it not. I do know that you don't belong here." I told them anger rising in my blood. "Hey boys I think we should avenge those who were slain and violated. Why not use her as pay back. After all she has a lot of mouth that one." The leader said and the rest of them started laughing and drawing swords. I drew my own sword, but it would do nothing against their steel. They were in steel plates and steel armor. My stone sword would do ultimately little if anything to them. I began to back up until my back was up against tree.

I didn't know magick that well but I wasn't going to let them touch me. "Oh come on lass, why don't you have some fun with us?" the one in the steel plate armor said, drawing his sword and walking towards me. He had a long orcish sword. This wasn't good, not at all. Just as they were walking up toward me, they had fanned out in a wide circle, I heard a loud noise, and a shout.

"FUS…RO DAH!" a wave of powering came rushing forth from my right, and nearly all of the mercenaries were sent flying. I turned and looked in shock, and in a blur of motion I saw someone with pale skin and hair golden blonde in, with what appeared to be steel armor, but it looked different than anything I had ever seen, he also had one of the largest steel greatswords I had ever seen, and it seemed to match his armor perfectly.

But the face was familiar I knew him, but I didn't know from where. Then a woman with dark brown hair in steel armor wielding a steel battleaxe came following directly after him. They were nords, my step father would have wanted me to kill them immediately and so would Xaxa.

But they seemed to be helping me. "Pick on someone who will fight back cowards!" he cried, and I recognized the voice as familiar. I had seen him in Solitude, at the execution of that nord, the one who helped that coward and murderer Ulfric Stormcloak. "Pitiful excuse for a nord!" cried the woman. She was with him to at Solitude.

The mercenaries had indeed recovered, and now they were preparing to fight. "Who are you interloper. Do you know who this woman is, or what she is a part of?" shouted the leader of the mercenaries. There were six of them I could have sworn there was seven though. But surely this man could take them all on. I gathered myself and prepared to fight as well.

I could also hear shouts from the nearby Karthspire camp, apparently whatever magick he had used alerted the sentries there. "Fuck this!" cried the leader and he charged at the nord warrior. The nord warrior didn't even flinch as the man tried to slice into him with his sword, he merely blocked it with that massive sword he had in his hands, kicked out his right leg and brought the sword down upon his head with devastating force. The man didn't even have the time to cry out.

Two of the mercenaries fled, another tried to sneak up on him, and I rushed into action. I stabbed him from behind, my sword penetrated his leather armor, and he cried out as I led him to the ground, drew my seax and slit his throat.

The other two charged at the man and the woman at once. "Lydia take the one on the right!" cried the man, and the woman nodded. "Of course my thane." And she raised her steel battleaxe and split the man on the rights head apart, the man she called her thane charged at the man on the left, and ran him through with the terrible sword he wielded. He stabbed him with so much power that he lifted him off of the ground, and the man hit the ground dead.

They stood there for a minute, the woman that was with him was expressing how she thought that it was a damn shame. I just stood there quietly surveying the carnage. Finally the man turned to me. "Who are you?" he asked, and I looked at him quizzically. "I could ask you the same question." I said, and he sighed. "You are a Reachwoman yes?" he asked more of a statement then a question. I just nodded.

"But you wear the helm of a bear friend, are you a Stormcloak?" asked the woman, and I looked at her like I was gravely insulted. "I would never fight under that monster, after all he has done to my people. No I have this helm if that's what you call it because I have slain many of his officers. This is a prize." I told them matter-of-factly.

The woman nodded. "My name is Lydia, this is my thane "Eirik. He is the Dragonborn." Lydia said, and I nodded. "My name is Raven. Raven… Ap Madanach." I said, the name felt awkward on my tongue now. Eirik sighed. "So your one of the king in rags daughters, I was at Markarth, I escaped with him, from Cidna mine." He began, but suddenly there was a blur of movement, to my right.

I turned and then I felt a hot piercing in my side. I looked down and there was a knife protruding from my side. My blood was pouring from the wound. It was the seventh mercenary, the one who disappeared. "Native bitch." He hissed in my ear, and then Eirik and Lydia jumped on him and cut him to ribbons. Just then as that happened troops from Karthspire arrived on the scene shouting. Then I fell to the ground. Darkness and red spots dancing across my vision, and I felt very weak, then I lost all connection to the world and everything went dark.

A/N: And this is chapter 4 of the blood of the reach. I hope you all enjoyed it, the wait was long. Leave me a review and tell me what all of you thinks, they would help a lot. And yes I did add Raven the Lady of the Reach. I played that mod storyline on the pc, and it was very good. Yours truly the Last Dragonborn Warrior.


	6. Calm Before the Storm

Blood of the Reach: A forsworn tale

A/N: this is chapter five of this story. I introduced Raven, Xaxa's sister, for those of you that have played the Sundered Hills story line mod for Skyrim on the PC, then you guys should already be familiar with Raven. It is still all quiet on the review front as of right now. Don't be shy to leave a review they are very helpful.

(Recap after Raven blacks out: the forsworn came running as it took them a long time to mobilize, which shouldn't have been the case in the slightest and someone would hear it for that. When they got to the scene of the disturbance near the Sundered Hills they came to find Raven lying with a pool of blood spouting from her side, and two heavily armed nords standing in the midst of a group of nords lying slaughtered, and one of their princesses lying with a dagger in her side and the nords tending to her. So this obviously would be the cause of a misunderstanding and a huge problem. They came in large numbers and surrounded Eirik and Lydia, a lot of shouting and eventually they dropped their weapons seeing as Raven needed immediate attention. They were dragged to the sundered hills bound and gagged and awaited Xaxa, after Eirik said that he was a close friend to Madanach the king in rags.)

Chapter 5: The Calm before the Storm

Raven's point of view

I awoke with an ache in my side as the world began to return. I had a dream that I was dancing in the stars with all my ancestors. I thought for sure that my dance had ended and it was time for me to go to the stars with them and I was happy and content with that. But then I felt worried for Xaxa and the Reach. I saw my mother Lukaia and she said it was a nice visit. I looked at her confused and she told me I wasn't dead and that it was time for me to return to the world of the living. Then I began falling, falling away from my ancestors and my family and my friends that passed, and I fell directly into a tent in the Sundered Hills.

I awoke groggily, and the first thing I did was groan and try to get up. I felt somebody push me back down, and I began to struggle. "Get off of me!" I cried, but the voice just began to shush me. I finally regained enough senses to see who it was, because when I first awoke everything was blurry. It was Madanach and Eithne.

"Relax yourself." Eithne whispered to me. "Where am I? Where is Eirik?" I asked. I remembered him, he was the one who saved me from a fate worse than death. It wouldn't have been a fate that I hadn't suffered before, but I didn't desire to go through it again. "He is safe cariad, he is safe." Madanach told me. He said it in a soft tone that I had never expected someone like him to use.

"Am I in the sundered hills?" I asked and Eithne nodded. "You were out for four days. That dagger was poisoned, and restoration magick wasn't working so Esmeralda sent Xaxa to retrieve a bunch of items that were hard to find in the Reach, but he did it with the speed of a god." Madanach added.  
"By the way speaking of him… Never do that again!" Eithne shrieked. "Do you have any idea how worried we all were?!" she continued. Madanach looked as if he was going to say something, but decided not to. "Especially Xaxa, I never thought I would see a man cry the way he was. He was outright weeping. Esmeralda eventually had her briarhearts carry him away from you. And he fought them every step of the way!"

"And why would you care about me?" I spat venomously and Eithne looked at me in shock and so did Madanach. "Because you are one of us, We take care of our own you're family Raven." Madanach said desperately. I shook my head "Then where were you?" I sobbed. "Where were you when mom died. She cried out your name I was there when they killed her!" I yelled, tears streaming down my face, hot tears of hurt and sadness.

Madanach looked hurt. "I…" he began "Don't… I guess it's better that you're here now." I said. "If you don't mind me asking, Esmeralda said that your body has suffered major trauma and it was recent." Eithne began and just then Kaie, Aeihe and Xaxa walked into the tent. And I stiffened visually. Eithne picked up on it as I my hand drifted down below my waste. "oh your awake finally." Kaie said excited, and Xaxa's face brightened.

She turned to Madanach and Xaxa "Okay you two out!" she ordered, and she began pushing them out, just as Xaxa was about to say something. But she was already ushering them out. "What's going on?" Aeihe asked. Eithne turned back to me after drawing the hide entrance closed and casting a muffle spell.

"Okay talk." Eithne said. "And you two be quiet." She said to Kaie and Aeihe who looked at her confused. I sat there for a minute and thought about whether to tell them or not. My body decided for me, as I burst into tears, my entire body trembling. "I'll go get some hot water." Aeihe said hurrying herself out of the tent. I began to sob as Eithne embraced me and Kaie followed suit.

"Shh it's okay. We're here now?" Eithne said to me and they just held me close and rocked me back and forth as I cried. Here I was, mother always said I was supposed to be strong, and keep my idiot brother out of trouble, I was older then Xaxa and I was supposed to watch him, but I was always selfish. Selfish when I left and it cost me.

"It's my fault." I choked out and Eithne looked me in the eyes. "What happened was my fault. I was always supposed to watch out for Xaxa, but when mom died I couldn't stay here any longer. I was selfish when I left and it cost me." I began. They said nothing, just allowed me to speak. "I left the Reach and traveled for four years. I first went to Whiterun, then Riften. I was going to Winterhold, but then I stopped in Windhelm for a night. I don't know why I did. I shouldn't have. A gang of Stormcloaks saw me and one recognized me as a Reachwoman. Witch they called me. Reach whore, and finally I had enough. They had been following me everywhere I went, and then I said to them "I am a Reachwoman and of the forsworn, and the reach will be ours again. I cried and I was an idiot for doing so. The overwhelmed me, and they abused me, tortured me, then brought me before Ulfric, and he had his way with me as well, and that brute of a bodyguard." I cried out sobbing. I lashed out and shattered the one chair in the tent into pieces with a powerful kick.

Kaie and Eithne gasped. "Raven I'm so sorry I…" Kaie began but I cut her off. All the anger and hatred and sorrow had welled up inside of me and now it was spilling over to the forefront. "Don't pity me. I don't need pity." I said through a choked out sob. The tears blurring my vision. "Ulfric did this to you? The bear of Markarth, and his men?!" Eithne finally cried out in outrage.

"Are you daft, that's what I said." I said my anger rising. "Once we take the Reach, we will take that Stormcloak bastards' head as well." Eithne said enraged. "But for now we need to unite the Reach, and watch out for each other." Kaie added, and Eithne nodded. 

"Those mercenaries who stabbed me, they were going to do the same thing if not for that nord and his what did he say Huscarl." I told them and Eithne nodded. "He was waiting to speak with da. The people of Karthspire were going to kill him, but he said he was with Madanach in the escape, and Kaie said she recognized him, so he is living for now. I think da went to speak with him." Kaie said, and I nodded.

"I want to see Xaxa." I told them as I started to get up. "You need rest." Eithne said trying to stop me. "Why… does Esmeralda not know how to us restoration magick?" I asked. "It's not that, they brought you straight here and nobody that found you could use restoration magick." Eithne said "The dagger was poisoned, the poison set, and now we just have to let it take its course." She continued.

"Well how long was I out?" I asked them "You were out for three days." Kaie said, and I sucked in a sharp breath. "What?" I croaked out. And Eithne nodded. "The poison put you in a coma." Kaie said sympathetically.

"Can I not leave the tent?" I asked starting to become frustrated. "Well… Esmeralda said to not let you leave by yourself. But we're with you." Eithne told me mischievously. "Come on… let us help you up." Kaie said, and both of them took one of my arms. When they lifted me up my side erupted in pain, but I just clenched my teeth and closed my eyes tightly.

"Are you okay?" Kaie asked worriedly. "I'm fine." I told her through gritted teeth, and then they led me out of the tent. The sun was beginning to set over the Sundered Hills. We were at the top of the ruin we had built our home around. The land of my ancestors, I always loved the view of the sun setting over the horizon, it cast a beautiful light over the hills.

They led me to the stairs and when we got their I saw Xaxa and the girl named Aeihe sitting there having an intense discussion. It seemed as if they were arguing. "No Aeihe I don't! I think it's time we brought war to the nords. Enough of these raids, it's time we march on Markarth!" He said his voice raising into a yell. "And no we don't need the help of that nord. We should kill him!" he barked.

Aeihe was looking at him angrily. "Regardless of his heritage he just saved your sister from a fate WORSE THAN DEATH!" she snapped back, beginning to yell herself. "We can take Markarth sure. But the question is can we keep it? Whether you like it or not, we need the help of your father, and help from the outside. Go to the legion, ally with them anything!" Aeihe continued her voice trembling. She was about to break down.

"I need no help from outsiders, what just happened with my sister that is the reason we need to act. Like it or not I'm taking warriors from the Sundered hills, and Karthspire, and any other camp that will rise up and we are taking Markarth in three days time. The Silver-Blood is now the Jarl, and now he must pay! It's now or never. Before they send an army here and lay siege to the Sundered hills." He bit back.

"That is your doing! Taking Karthwasten and slaughtering all who are not nords! You brought attention to the Sundered Hills! You did!" Aeihe snapped back and rose up and began walking away. "Aeihe! Aeihe!" Xaxa called after her and he rose to go after her, but she just walked faster ignoring my brothers cries.

I shook my head sadly and looked to Kaie and Eithne. "Umm… Xaxa." I said nervously. I had never seen him that angry before. He turned his head quickly, a snarl on his face until he saw it was me and then his gaze softened. 

"Raven… what are you doing up, are you okay?" He asked, beginning to worry like he always did. I nodded my head. "please tell me you didn't see that." He began but I shook my head. "I did, and I wish I hadn't." I said to him. He just sighed and shook his head, plopping back down on the stairs.

"They made you chieftain brother. Why not sit on your throne?" I asked him. He looked at me and decided that would probably make it easier for me and he rose and walked to the throne slowly. Kaie and Eithne helped me get there and Kaie went and grabbed a chair for me and then grabbed two more for her and Eithne.

He sighed tiredly, and buried his head in his hands. "What is wrong brother?" I asked him, the pain began to subside as I relaxed. I couldn't help but feel hot though, and I felt light-headed, but I kept it to myself.

"This is all my fault. All of it." he said, his voice muffled from having his face in his hands. "What is?" I asked him. "The nords wanting our heads, wha happened to you. If I had never marched on Karthwasten you wouldn't have gotten hurt by them." he said, Eithne and Kaie said nothing. "I'm a horrible leader, Madanach was right, we need to unite under one, and it shouldn't be me. I speak for the Sundered hills, but I shouldn't be reach king." he continued.

"Xaxa shut up, and quit crying. What happened was not your fault, and on top of that the nords have hurt me in more ways than you think, and that's why I am here now." I told him, choking back a sob, and he looked up and looked me in the eyes. His stare was intense, piercing into my very soul. I began to grow nervous, Xaxa was anything but stupid, I knew he would figure it out, but I wanted to tell him on my own.

"Did anyone ever tell you guys that your eyes are beautiful?" Eithne asked, picking up on the tension and effectively changing the subject. "Yes the are very unique." Kaie added. "No people always used to call m a freak, and a monster." I said bitterly.

"Well whoever said that is an idiot, and an ass, and they have no eye for real beauty." Kaie said. I shook my head. "That must be half of the Reach then. all the girls from here used to make fun of me, but they always chased after Xaxa, and all the boys are frightened by my eyes." I said.

"Not all of them." a voice said from behind and I turned and it was Aonai, one of my oldest friends, and he was with his friend Alaric, one of Esmeralda's briarhearts. I smiled warmly at him. "You know Esmeralda is going to freak out if she sees you are not resting right?" Alaric said.

"Alaric she is sitting down at least, you seriously think that she is going to get that mad?" Aonai asked, and both Alaric and Xaxa snorted. "Yes." They both said in unison. "Really?" Aonai said tilting his head slightly. Him and Xaxa both did that when they were puzzled, or annoyed.

"I commune with that women I know how she is…." Alaric said trailing off, and his face took on a blank stare, and his mouth quirked at an odd angle and his mouth hung open in a funny way. He was communing with the hag that made him. Xaxa and Aonai burst out in laughter. Eithne and Kaie chuckled to and then I eventually joined in.

Alaric finally snapped back to reality to see that we were all laughing at him. "What?" he said annoyed. "Well it's just that when you commune with Esmeralda you make a weird face like this." Xaxa said mimicking the face that Alaric had made.

"What! Do all briarhearts do that!?" He asked and Xaxa shook his head. "No they don't!" called another briarheart that was walking up. It was Sabine, one of the boys I grew up with, one of the ones who used to tease me. "Only the ones dumb enough to get smart with her. That being you." Sabine said. I rolled my eyes, I never liked Sabine, and he was always a jerk.

"I hate agreeing with Sabine, but he is right, she put a curse on you." Xaxa said, and Alaric looked to Xaxa then Sabine. "Why? Why would she do that?" he asked. "Remember she sent us to get her a live spriggan?" Sabine asked and Alaric nodded. "Yeah why?" he asked, "Well remember you were like why should we capture one alive, rather than kill it ourselves?" Sabine continued, and Alaric nodded.

"Then she freaked out on you and electrocuted you. And after that she laid a curse on you while we were gone." Sabine continued "And she does not trust you with any complex tasks now. That's why you stay here collecting dust, and gathering her ingredients." Sabine said before bursting out in laughter.

By the expression on Alaric's face he did not think that any of that was funny. "Oh why the sour face Alaric?" Sabine asked, trying to antagonize him. "Sabine leave him alone!" I shouted at him, and he stopped, and focused his cold gaze upon me. Then a cruel smile broke out across his face.

"Well, well, well if it isn't Raven. Eyes of dingy coal, and heart of selfishness and lies. Finally back from your little trip, or are you just stopping in so you can abandon us again?" He asked cruelly, and I saw Xaxa reaching for the seax he kept in his boot. If I didn't know better it was that dagger he had retrieved for Esmeralda, Nettlebane.

"Your just mad because everyone back when we were young didn't like you." I bit back, and he snarled. "I know you're not talking, freak. Nobody will ever want someone with the eyes of a monster." He snapped and the anger that was welled up inside of me began to erupt. I tried to rise, but the pain erupted in my side once more. Instead of being able to do anything tears began welling up in my eyes.

"Oh what you gonna cry, freak?" Alaric asked and Eithne, Kaie and Xaxa sprung into action. "You better show my sister some respect pine cone." Xaxa spit venomously. "Or what, you gonna do something about it?" He challenged. "Your sister is a freak, and so are you." He baited Xaxa, and he took it.

He grabbed Nettlebane from his boot, and stabbed Sabine right in the chest. Sabine looked at him after grunting in discomfort. "Is that supposed to hurt or something?" he said, grabbing Xaxa, lifting him off his feet, and tossing him to the ground. Then Eithne and Kaie jumped on him, but he grabbed them both by their necks, and threw them into the wall.

I saw Aonai cast a mage armor spell, and ready lightning magick. "Oh yes please, I've been waiting for you for the longest." Sabine snapped. He cast his own mage armor, and readied a fire spell. Then Aonai moved first spearing him in the chest with an arc of lightning, and then Sabine responded by lobbing a fire ball at Aonai, it exploded on the wall, and sent everyone reeling.

I heard footsteps coming up the stairway. I counted at least ten pairs. Kaie, Eithne, and Xaxa recovered and tried to go after Sabine once again, but he sent them back by throwing four fireballs at them, and then casting a lightning ward at his feet. Kaie casted mages armor, and then threw an ice spike at him, which landed in his stomach. But him being a briarheart, it only did so much.

He turned hateful eyes toward Kaie, and cast a spell of chain lightning, hitting Kaie first, then slamming into Eithne and Xaxa, then hitting Aonai, as he picked me up swiftly and tossed me to the other side of a stone and metal table and took the brunt of the hit. Though I still felt some pain, as the spell didn't completely miss me.

"Kaie!" I heard Madanach scream in rage, and I pulled myself up and saw him leaping into the fray with the briarheart. Sabine was fast, but Madanach was faster. I saw Xaxa rising to his feet, as ten warriors were trying to get between Madanach and Sabine. Madanach was screaming how he was going to kill him, and Sabine was roaring about how he was going to kill us and Madanach.

Once they separated the two from indefinitely eviscerating each other they were leading Sabine away. Some of the warriors were his friends of old and they were telling him to calm down. Xaxa moved to him quietly and the crowd parted for him, he said he wanted to speak to Sabine.

Nobody noticed he had Nettlebane at the ready. Once he reached Sabine, he swiftly cut his throat, then the leather bindings holding his briarheart in his chest, and then he ripped it from his chest. Everyone gasped and looked on in horror. Sabine fell to the ground convulsing, and foaming at them mouth. He died swiftly but in immense pain.

"That's what you get for hurting my family you son of a bitch." Xaxa said without emotion, though his anger was evident.  
"Great! Now we gotta deal with Esmeralda, no doubt she will be here soon." Alaric exclaimed. As if on cue the Hagraven had appeared. Somehow nobody noticed her arrival. Maybe she used the teleportation power that I had heard the Hag at Hag's end had the ability to use. That was actually very scary.

She looked at the now dead briarheart, then the large group that had gathered, and then at Xaxa. She didn't look angry, only very annoyed. "Really, do you realize how hard it is to make these things, and then finding someone willing to do it is even harder these days." Esmeralda said. She clearly only tolerated Sabine, but I could see it in her eyes that she was not entirely upset that he died.

"He…he…he started it." Xaxa said pointing at the now dead corpse, as if he were a child once again. I shook my head, and groaned. Esmeralda cocked her head to the side, and glowered at Xaxa. Then she held out her clawed hand. "Give me the briarheart…NOW!" she ordered, and Xaxa gave it back to her. "Alaric, Aonai help me get this fool to my tower. I may still be able to bring him back." She said, and she began shuffling on back to her tower, the crowds parting for her. She hadn't even looked up to see if Aonai, and Alaric were doing as she asked, which they were.

-Scene break-

Xaxa Faolan Red

Once they had taken Sabine's corpse to the tower, which I hoped he wasn't savable, I turned and saw Aeihe shaking her head at me. I walked up to her and she glared at me. "Why are you looking at me like that?" I asked her and she stared at me for another moment. "What you just did, is why I am second guessing being with you now." She said flatly. Eithne and Kaie sighed in frustration.

"What do you mean?" I exclaimed angrily "What have I done now?" she just looked at me. "Killing one of your own tribesmen that's what." She snapped back. "First of all you don't know Sabine like I do, second of all he just tried to kill us!" I barked back, and she glowered at me again. "Look I don't have time for this. When you can understand why I am mad at you then talk to me." She said, turning on her heel and stalking off, her staff in hand.

I sighed and went and plopped over in the throne again. "What the fuck!" I exclaimed, and Eithne and Madanach came over to where I was. Raven was sitting on the stone table. "You know son, I have three daughters, counting Raven and I think I can tell you when a woman is having her…time." He said, and I looked at him puzzled. 

"What?" I said, "Say that again." I felt confused, but dumb because I should know what he meant. "It's her time of the month idiot." Eithne said. Now I understood why she had been bitching all day. "Yeah best thing you could do is give her some space, and don't argue with her." Raven said. And at that I groaned. "Great. Just great." I said, exhausted.

"It'll be okay Xaxa, don't worry." Raven told me. I looked at her for a moment. "Why are you up and about? You should be resting." I said to her. And she stared at me for a moment. She was contemplating something; I would find that out later. "I am fine Raven. Just go and rest." I told her. She looked as if she was going to argue but before she could Madanach interjected.

"He is right cariad. You should rest." Madanach said calmly. Raven glared between the two of us, then stuck her nose up in disgust. "Great now I have two men lording over me telling me what to do instead of one." She snapped out, but before I could say anything she reached for Eithne. "Can you help me, moving is a painful chore right now." And Eithne nodded and helped her up.

Eithne began to help Raven go back to the tent she had been in previously, and that left me with Kaie, and Madanach. "So that nord… does he check out." I asked and Madanach nodded. "Yes he does. I remember him, without him my escape would never have been possible." He continued, and I just listened and nodded. I turned and saw that the sun was going down. "I need to go, I have something that I need to do tonight. I shall return when the sun is returning to our sky once more." I told them.

"Where are you going Xaxa?" Kaie asked me. "I can't really share, but Esmeralda said the stars were right for the new warriors and other braves to be fully initiated. You know by right of blood." I began, hoping they would figure it out. "So you're going hunting then?" Kaie asked.

"You could call it that I suppose." I told them. In reality the Sundered Hills had a tradition, when a new warrior is to be initiated, we ride out and raid a Nordic settlement. They had rebuilt Old Hroldan, and I had my eyes on that place for a while. That is where the raid would happen.

"Well in that case be safe." Kaie said. I seriously was beginning to think that she was really dumb.

To be continued…

A/N: well that's chapter five. I hope all who read liked it, a little too soft in my opinion, but the action kicks back up next chapter. Hope to see you there next time.

Yours' truly The Last Dragonborn Warrior.


	7. A Blood Oath

Blood of the Reach

A/N: This is chapter six, I said the action would kick back up at this point and I shall deliver. Enjoy.

Chapter 6: An oath of Blood

Xaxa Faolan Red

I had gathered the warriors that were to be initiates into the Sundered Hills tribe. We were going to attack Old Hroldan, it was now rebuilt into a nordic town, and what better way to begin the real war then sending a message out to the nords at the very sight that we lost to Tiber Septim. The warriors were ready, I had two Forsworn Warlords with me, they were the equivalent to generals for us. The rest were made up of twenty warriors, male and female. I had told Madanach and my new family we were going hunting for the initiation. I technically didn't lie, only Raven knew what I was really doing, because she had done it herself, as well as I.

"Remember, no mercy, no discretion. Those of you who distinguish yourselves here shall be full members of the Sundered Hills tribe. Make the tribe proud, and bring back some loot as well." I said as we neared Old Hroldan. I heard a few laughs and chuckles from the raiding party. It was fifteen men and ten women.

"Let the nords know our fury." Said one of the warriors, from what it was Aryn. I grew up with him, he was one of my oldest friends. "Yes brother, let them know the wrath of the forsworn on this night." I said, and that earned a lot of whoops and shouts from the rest of the group.

We snuck up to Old Hroldan, and I sent three people to scout ahead. Once they returned they informed us that the town was lightly defended, and I cracked a smile at this. "Then let us begin. Half of you attack the front, and the rest split into three groups and attack from the sides and rear. Move on my go, when you hear us charge, then you follow as well." I ordered, and we split up.

Aryn was leading the rear assault. I had every intention of making him my blood brother after this. He deserved it after all we had been through together. We waited at least five minutes and when I decided everyone should be in place I looked to the men behind me. "Let's go!" I barked and we charged.

The guards that were at the entrance to the town were taken completely by surprise. I sunk Red Eagle's fury into one of the guards chest in a mere instant. He struggled, this one clearly had more fight in him then a lot of foes I had faced. I brought my forsworn sword to his neck and slashed a deep cut in his throat. Blood flowed from the wounds I had inflicted on him, and he weakened and went to the ground gurgling blood in his mouth.

I let out a battle cry, the other guard had been taken out with an arrow to the throat. "The reach belongs to the forsworn!" I bellowed and the war cries went up from all the warriors. I cast mage armor on myself as did the rest of the raiding party, and then we charged into the town. Nords were being slaughtered indiscriminately. They didn't stand a chance, I charged another guard, and before he could use his Warhammer he had no head upon his shoulders. I didn't relish in his death I kept moving. I cast flames upon one of the buildings and the fires began.

I saw Aryn in the fray with three nord warriors, one of them was a Stormcloak. I hurled a spike of ice at him, and it impaled him from behind, and then Aryn slashed at another, and took out his legs, then ran him through. I threw an arc of lightning at the other and fried him as the bolt slammed into him. The warriors were killing civilians, and warriors alike.

I turned my sights to the inn, and I motioned for five warriors to come with me. When we got to the doors we saw they were barricaded shut. I placed a fire rune on the door, then I lobbed a fireball at it and the door exploded, and the inn caught fire. I ran stepped into the burning building with my fellow warriors. Our visages made even more menacing in the flames. I saw several nords huddled under tables, and I knew there was more hiding in rooms.

"Kill them all." I ordered and my warriors went at it. There were screams, and cries for mercy. But those cries fell on deaf ears. No one would hear them. "Quiver at the wrath of the Forsworn!" I roared, and I hacked a bard to pieces. Then I pierced another tavern worker through the heart with Red Eagle's Fury. After the inn was cleared, and what things of value were being taken out of it, I set the rest of it on fire, and it burned.

All of Old Hroldan was now up in flames. And we were leaving celebrating our victorious raid. They were chanting my name and now once we returned to the hills they would have their ceremony with Esmeralda and I over seeing it and then we would rejoice and celebrate. We had acquired liquor that was not just jenever and it would be a good night, and we had acquired many fine foods.

"They didn't stand a chance." Aryn said cheerfully, his sword covered in blood, all of ours were. We were whooping and cheering all the way back to the Sundered Hills. Once we returned the festival was ready. Decorations were hung, food was being cooked, and drinks were being prepared. We heard instruments, and I smiled back at the initiates. Be ready in an hour for the ceremony. When the moon is at its highest point in the sky, They all nodded, "Keep your weapons bloody." I told them before I left them and went to find Esmeralda. By now Madanach, Eithne, and Kaie would have figured out what was going on.

I didn't find Esmeralda, instead I stumbled upon Aeihe who was curled up on the ground crying. My instincts got the best of me, I couldn't just leave her like this, despite how mad I was at her. "Aeihe… are you okay?" I asked her, but she didn't respond. "Aeihe…" I began but she cut me off. "I'm fine Xaxa, I just…" she began but trailed off. I knelt down at her side, and embraced her.

"I'm sorry Aeihe. Sorry for being an asshole earlier, it's just I've had a lot on my plate, and I've been stressed. I shouldn't have yelled at you, I know you care, and I'm sorry." I told her, and she turned to me, her eyes red and puffy from crying, and her cheeks were flushed. She didn't say anything, she just embraced just kissed me.

"I'm sorry too." She finally said once she broke the kiss. And I smiled at her. "You have nothing to be sorry for." I told her, then I rose and offered my hand to her. "Come, there is a festival about to begin, and I have to prepare for the ceremony, will you help me?" I asked her, and she nodded. 

"Let's not waste any time." She said, and I led her up to Esmeralda's tower. Once we got there we saw that she was standing at her gods awful alchemy table doing god's only knows what. "Esmeralda. They all passed, the raid was successful. The ceremony will begin soon, are you ready?" I asked her but she didn't even look up. She just sighed.

"Yes Faolan, I am ready. Do you know how many times I've done this. I did it for you when you came of age. I did it for countless others. You should know this by now." She said waving me away, and I just nodded. Then me and Aeihe turned and left, and I led her to my tent.

I had ceremonial paint readied once I got there, probably by Raven. I hadn't seen her or Madanach or my other sisters since I arrived. Never the less I had no time to dwell on that, they were here somewhere, and I had to prepare.

Aeihe dressed me in the ceremonial paint, polished my torc, and did my hair, which was long and untamed. She put intricate braids in it, with beads, and other items. I had five large ceremonial gold necklaces hung from my neck. She had brought me my armor. And when she was finally done she nodded, and grabbed a mirror, and showed me her work. It was beautiful, very well done, it looked fearsome, but regal at the same time. I heard the drums begin to beat at an even pace and I deemed it time to show up.

"Come cariad, let us go to our people." I told her and I rose, and led her after me. Once Aeihe and I had arrived at the base of the stairway, the entire Sundered Hills tribe was in attendance and all of Karthspire as well. Also the people from Druadach redoubt were there, and Hag's end. The old Hagraven I noticed as Keirine was there from Hag's end. Also the remaining hags of the south, and then Melka from Blind cliff Redoubt was there as well.

I had a feeling this would be more than a ceremony, this would be a diplomatic meeting as well. I guess there was no time to unify the Forsworn then now, when we were all here. Alaric was standing at Esmeralda's side. All of her briarhearts were, which numbered up to thirty. She had been busy, very busy. They formed our honor guard, as well as the chosen swordsmen. Even Sabine was there, she really was able to save him somehow, I wasn't too thrilled about that.

Raven was standing by Aonai, apparently she was healed now, thanks to a lot of potions and restoration magick. Kaie, Eithne and Madanach were with her, all they were waiting for was me. I finally stepped forward, and I walked to where they were on a raised platform overlooking the horde of forsworn. I raised my hand and the Sundered Hills cheered my name.

"It's about time." Esmeralda snapped at me and I bowed my head apologetically. "My apologies matron, I merely was preparing in earnest." I told her a sly grin crossing my features. Esmeralda glared at me, I knew I would pay for that one later on.

I looked out to the gathered forsworn, and began to speak. "Brothers, forsworn, kin, my fellow reachmen. We are here to recognize the strength and prowess of the chosen few who have proven themselves ready to make the journey to adulthood. I would ask them to step forward." As I said that all twenty of the raiders stepped forward. "Raise your right hands into the air for this oath to take, then once it is finished, step up to the bowl and spill your blood upon the water of the Karth, and the leaves of juniper, and the soil of the reach herself." I continued "One at a time."

They all stepped forward, and they all were prepared for the oath one by one. "Repeat after me." I began "I a child of the reach, do swear to protect her, I do swear to protect this land and it's people with my life." I began and one by one they repeated my words. "I shall protect her from any enemy, and I shall spill blood for this land, and I shall shed my own blood in her defense, I do swear this, by my honor, and my life. To protect her, or die trying." They repeated my words after I said them without fault. "I now proclaim you, Warriors, hunters, Leaders, children of the Sundered Hills, now and forever even after death." And then the rest of the crowd cheered, as each initiate cut there right palm and spilled their lifeblood into the ceremonial bowl.

After the ceremony the festivities began. I was drinking jenever and enjoying myself with Aeihe at my side, doing the same. I stopped when I heard a soft melodic voice resonating from nearby. It was Raven singing, and it was beautiful.

"We drink to our youth, to the days come and gone, for the age of occupation is just about done. We'll drive out the invaders, from this land that we own, with our blood, and our zeal we shall take back our home. All hail to Faolan, first lord of the reach, in your great honor we drink and we sing, we're the children of the reach and we fight all our lives, and when the old gods beckon everyone of us dies." Raven sung and all fell silent, it was a beautiful song. Once she had finished many people were clapping. I saw tears in the eyes of some, the song moved me in a way I hadn't thought possible. My eyes blurred, for I to was crying. The song brought on the feeling of hope, a feeling of resolve, and I vowed right then and there, that I would never give up the fight.

To be continued…

A/N: Short post, just wanted to fill in some plot lines, next we are going to forsworn internal politics, which is always more than often a chore in itself.


	8. Men do not Fear Swords

Blood of the Reach

Chapter 7: Men do not fear swords

Thanks to the makers Dracula untold

Introduction

The day after the festival the leaders of the forsworn were gathered at the top of the ruins at the Sundered Hills, Xaxa was on his throne and all the leaders, and matrons were gathered around a table adjacent to it. The meeting was not going so well until Xaxa finally had enough of the bickering over who should lead, and all listened.

Xaxa Faolan Red

"Brothers, sisters, kinsman, my forsworn stop this bickering and heed my words." I began, all fell silent. Even Keirine stopped arguing with Esmeralda. Eithne, Kaie, Raven, and Madanach were all beside me.

"Hark brothers, sisters listen to my sons words." Madanach said and it felt odd for him to say that. "Thank you." I told him, meeting his eyes nodding.

"The nords are strong, and we must stand united to face them and stand a chance." I said "Why spill blood, if not for the pleasure of it?" I continued "For men do not fear swords. They fear monsters. They run from them." I said. All were listening at this point. "Sometimes the world does not need heroes, it needs monsters." I said "You have no idea what it means to mean a monster." I continued "I could destroy a village, and save ten more if I wished, for the people rise up against monsters. The nords are the monsters, and we must fight united, as one. Only then can we declare who is to be reach king. For now we must unite and fight our enemies and destroy them, then drive out the nords!"

I finished, and a rallying cry went up from the council, they were declaring themselves loyal to the cause. Pounding fists on the tables, and on chests, casting destruction magick into the air, Raven pulled me into a tight hug. "I love you so much Xaxa." She said, and I told her I love her to.

-scene break-

Thonar Silver-Blood

"So that's it then. The forsworn have finally begun a new uprising?" I asked "That is what it seems." Said Kottir Red-Shoal, the general in charge of the Stormcloaks in Markarth, "Yes there have been attacks on settlements, and mines. Old Holdan was sacked and burned, there are only but a few survivers, and we just rebuilt that place. Karthwasten due to its high native population fell with little bloodshed, and joined they forsworn's cause."

"Gods be damned." I sighed frustrated. "What do you wish for me to do my jarl?" Kottir asked. "Send a garrison to Karthwasten and put down all the natives, I need to contact someone." I ordered him and he gave me a salute. "Yes my jarl." He said and began walking off to gather some men.

I went to my quarters to right a letter to someone. I would be sending a letter to Vokir. He was a nightingale and he joined the dark brother hood and ascended to the top, if anyone could do what needed doing, it was him.

-Scene break-

The following morning…..

Raven Ap Madanach

It was early morning; I was sitting around a cooking fire with Eithne and Kaie. The other tribes had trickled away, back to their homes and redoubts to prepare for war. All was quiet in the Sundered Hills. I was smoking some venison for Xaxa, our family and I. I was actually glad Madanach, Kaie, and Eithne were family. It was nice to have a father again, and some sisters. They had decided to stay a while longer until returning to Druadach redoubt to fully prepare. Madanach had sent a hulking Orc named Borkel the Beast to go and deliver a few messages, and orders.

All was quiet until a sentry came running up out of the redoubt straight towards where I was. Great just great, I thought to myself. "Raven, Raven!" he shouted. "What is it Skaie?" I asked him annoyed. "Where is Xaxa, he is needed immediately!" he shouted. "What for?" I asked. "The Stormcloaks are marching on Karthwasten, and they are sure to come here and to Karthspire!" he shouted, and alarm raised up in me.  
"I'll get him, you inform Esmeralda, and then you get every available warrior together, and then you send a messenger to Karthspire, and the rest of the reach. The war is finally beginning." I ordered and he nodded. "Move it man! Move it!" I shouted and he bolted. Eithne and Kaie were giving me looks of approval.

"Go arm yourselves, and warn send warning to Druadach redoubt, I need to go prepare, and get Xaxa." I snapped and they nodded, and Kaie went off to find Madanach. I bolted up the stairway, and toward Xaxa's tent. He was still lying down, entwined with Aeihe.

"Xaxa wake up! Wake up now!" I shouted, and he didn't budge. He was sleeping like a rock and so was she. "Gah! We don't have time for this!" I shrieked, and I ran and grabbed the nearest bucket of water I could find. I grabbed it and walked back over to Xaxa's tent. "Wake up! This is serious!" I shouted dumping the water on both him and Aeihe.

Aeihe shrieked in alarm, and Xaxa did as well. He looked at me in anger. "What the fuck was that for!?" he barked. "The nords are on the move. They are marching on Karthwasten. Get up! Now!" I ordered, and he looked at Aeihe, then at me. "Send word to the other tribes. how many nords?" he asked. "I already sent out a messenger, I shall send more. I would assume the army is pretty large if they are marching as deep into our territory as Karthwasten." I said. He rose and went to gather his armor, and he ushered for Aeihe to do the same. She grabbed her staff, and started dressing herself as did Xaxa. I ran off to prepare my swords.

"I ran into a few warriors who I knew were fast, and I ordered them to send word to the other tribes as quick as their feet could carry them. "God speed move!" I ordered and they ran. I prepared myself I gathered my two swords, and my spare. My forsworn sword, Red Eagles Bane, the other sword of red eagle, and I grabbed the steel sword I had come across in my travels. I would use my forsworn sword as a backup. Warriors were gathering equipment, they were sharpening swords and axes, and handing them out, giving steel weapons and other fancy crafts to higher ranking warriors.

Warlords had been equipped with dwemer swords, and the chosen swords men had steel swords, elven and forsworn elder swords. They had gold necklaces, anklets and bracelets. And rings as well. All of the sundered hills were gathering. We had over a thousand warriors, we had half as many as Karthspire had. "The nords are marching to Karthwasten, we must move now!" Xaxa ordered, Esmeralda had come down as well. Every briarheart from the Sundered Hills was in attendance as well.

We began to march off to Karthspire, who had received the message, and the chieftain all of his men had readied themselves. "The nords are on the move, we are ready when you are." Said Vokar. "Then we shall move onward to Karthwasten." Xaxa said, I had readied myself in my head dress and all. Kaie and Eithne were with us as well, Madanach had went to rally the Druadach redoubt. We marched to Karthwasten, and arrived to a fortified town. The town itself had been converted into a fortress. Spikes on the ground, and grizzly traps had been set for any would be attackers.

"Who goes there?" cried a sentry from up in one of the wooden towers that was built, with makeshift siege engines installed as well for protection. It was a good thing that Xaxa had a thing for carnage, and being creative. "It is Xaxa Faolan Red, of the Sundered Hills. The nords are marching on Karthwasten!" Xaxa shouted. "We are aware lord, this army you have brought I assume is the defense?" the sentry inquired. "Yes it is." Xaxa said "Now open the gates." He shouted and the guards opened the gates.

Karthwasten was flying the banners of the sundered hills, and the forsworn. I took notice a red banner with a gold circle with a red eagle holding a sword inside its mouth with a torc around its neck of it was the banner of the sundered hills. And the forsworn colors were that of a red eagle on a black banner. It was rarely used universally except on the insides of a redoubt. Once the gates were opened we walked in. Other leaders had been pouring in, armies were camped out throughout the hills. I walked with Xaxa to the designated command tent. We entered and at first it was Xaxa, Aeihe, Kaie, Eithne, Vokar, and I. Soon entered other leaders from other tribes, the most notable was Madanach of Druadach redoubt, Alma'Lexia, shaman and one of the only non hag Chieftesses of the forsworn.

"So Xaxa what are you planning?" asked Alma'Lexia. Xaxa looked at her, and then back at the map. "I want warriors as far as Kolskeggr, and Sky Haven temple. If they draw near you are to terminate them with extreme prejudice, show them no mercy." He began and all just nodded. Then he turned to me. "Raven, I want you to be my head general. I want you to lead the attack as the nords from their rear, and destroy them. Take as many warriors as you need." I said.

"She can't do that." Someone said from behind. It was Sabine. I had a sinking feeling in my stomach. But I just glared at him, as did Xaxa. "And why is that?" Xaxa said his tone low and serious. "Because she left, she abandoned the sundered hills. She causes trouble, and now you want this outcast to lead an army? I object to this." Sabine said growling.

"Well unfortunately for you, even though you are Esmeralda's briarheart, I am chieftain of the sundered hills, you are still a warrior of the sundered hills, so there for I give you orders, not the other way around. Now my sister is leaving, and I suggest you hold your tongue before it no longer is yours." Xaxa snapped back, and he looked as if he were going to say something, but then decided against it. Good at least he knows when to shut up. "Anyway Raven leads." He said, "I'll coordinate the rest of the warriors." Xaxa said, and Alma'Lexia chuckled.

"You handle yourself well young Xaxa. You will make an excellent king." She whispered seductively. I noticed Aeihe stiffen. Amalein began walking out, but not before brushing herself up against Xaxa. "If you ever want to have some fun with a Chieftess, and a real shaman, let me know." She said in his ear, before walking out. Vokar was chuckling to himself. Aeihe glared at her, and then at Xaxa and then walked out of the tent fuming.

Xaxa looked as if he were going to go after her, but he didn't. I guessed he assumed there were more pressing matters at hand. It wasn't hard to miss the look in his eyes when Alma'Lexia offered herself to him. I knew my brother, despite Aeihe, he was going to go for Alma'Lexia. I just shook my head, and sighed inwardly.

"Raven, go rally some warriors and ride out to battle." Xaxa said, and I nodded to him. "OF course brother, glory to the forsworn." I said to him, and he said it back, then pulled me into an embrace. "Don't die." He said, holding me tightly. "I won't. You do the same." I said back to him, and with that off I went to battle.


	9. Battle for Karthwasten part 1

Blood of the Reach

Chapter 8: Battle for Karthwasten part 1

Raven Ap Madanach

I took a large group of about a hundred and fifty warriors, and marched south toward Kolskeggr. we took the route through the hills, to get behind our enemy. There had already been numerous skirmishes with no clear outcome. But there were dead, even though minor. The nords had large groups of soldiers throughout the hillside and they were marching on the roads in squads, and detachments. I hoped to descend upon a few large groups and deal crushing blows. I had eight warlords with me, and countless other warriors. We came up upon a hill where we could see a large group of Stormcloaks. There were at least fifty of them, and they were heavily armed. A perfect target, a malicious smile came across my lips, and I licked my lips ready for a fight.

"Brothers, the enemy is down there, the time to strike is now!" I barked, and the warriors of the sundered hills let out a war cry. Our war band was made up of the sundered hills warriors, Karthspire warriors, Druadachs, and serpent bluff redoubt warriors. I only wished we had our cavalry ready, but we would need horses first.

"Charge!" I roared, and the warriors followed my lead. As leader of the war band, I was to be first into the fray. The Stormcloaks finally saw us and they readied their weapons. I had been wearing my bear helmet, that I took from a fallen Stormcloak officer, and I had on Hircine's saviors hide, and gauntlets and boots of the old gods. I readied red eagle's bane and I readied my steel sword. We neared the Stormcloak detachment and one of them took a swing at me with his greatsword. I ducked to the ground, and slid beneath him, then jumped up and ran him through from behind.

He screamed and hit the ground spewing blood. My warriors collided with the rest of the Stormcloaks and the battle was on. There were people dying all around me. I slashed wildly at another Stormcloak.

"Skyrim belongs to the nords!" cried a Stormcloak bear friend. "Yeah, well the reach will be ours again!" cried a warrior as he charged the bear friend. But instead of being able to kill him, the bear friend took his left leg with his battle axe, and then finished him with a crushing blow to the head. I screamed in fury, and then rushed at the bear friend, dodging Stormcloaks, and wounding and killing others.

Once I reached him he locked eyes with me. "Oh another reach bitch come to die…" he stopped and looked over me again. "Oh I remember you witch, from windhelm, I heard you serviced Ulfric, I was there you know." He said cruelly, with an evil smile on his face. My anger sky rocketed, all I saw was red.

"Damn you and your Ulfric, damn you and your Skyrim, damn you and you nords, I will see this land run red with blood and burn." I said my voice shaking, tears were running down my face. He began to laugh, and that's when I charged him. He brought his battleaxe up to strike me down, but I was no fool. I got in range of it so he would strike down, and when he did I dodged to the right swiftly, and ran him through from under his right arm, to his left piercing his heart.

"First you, then all the reach… and then all of Skyrim." I growled in his ear as I eased him to the ground, glaring into his eyes. He looked fearful, but his resolve stiffened only for a moment. "now I go to Sovngarde... bitch." He spat, blood coming from his mouth. "No… damn your Sovngarde, you shall not see it." I said to him, swiftly casting soul trap on him. I didn't know many spells, but I would be a fool not to learn that one.

His eyes widened in terror, as he realized he would never see his blasphemous Sovngarde. Finally the life left his eyes, and his soul rushed forth toward the black soul gem I had on my person. By the time this was done, the skirmish concluded. And it was time to check the wounded and the casualties. We would need to bring them back to Karthwasten to get the wounded medical attention and the dead prepared for their rights. And then we would need more warriors.

-scene break-

Xaxa Faolan Red

"Raven should be returning soon, your eminence." Aonai said to me. "I am not your eminence, we are friends remember." I said to him, more of a statement then a question. "All the same, brother." He said.

"Do we have the horses now?" I asked him, and he nodded. "Ready to try the horsemen?" he asked me and I shook my head "We shall save them." I told him. And he nodded. "Do you wish for me to fetch Aryn?" he asked and I nodded. "Yes and bring the chosen swordsmen. It's time to strike the nords at one of their major camps, the one near sky haven. We cannot lose that area, it is to crucial in this fight." I told him and he nodded. "At once, I will ready the men, come when you wish to ride out. How many do you need?" he asked me. I looked at him. "one hundred fifty chosen swords men, and one hundred regular warriors, and I want twenty shamans." I told him and he nodded. "Of course." He said before turning and leaving the tent.

I followed after him, and saw that Raven had returned from her mission. "What happened? I thought you were flanking them?" I asked her, and she locked eyes with me. "I need to see Eithne, and I need more troops, we clashed with the Stormcloaks, and wiped out their detachment, but I took casualties." She told me, she looked shaken, rattled even. Not like herself, but I decided not to press the issue. "Okay I need to go off to fight, Eithne should be readying herself with Kaie, and Madanach, you should be able to find them a little north of here." I told her, and she nodded. "Oh Raven, if you ever want to talk to me, I will listen, I just want you to know that." I told her, and she nodded before walking off to find Eithne.

I gathered my weapons and my torc from my tent; I hadn't seen Aeihe since this morning. I hoped she wasn't still mad at me. I was going to look for her, but I ran into Alma'Lexia by the inn.  
"Xaxa… what a pleasant surprise." She said seductively. My heart began to beat in my chest rapidly. "Alma'Lexia." I said nodding curtly. "Oh come on now… just call me Alma… that feels more friendly." She said, before she walked up to me, wrapped her arms around me, and pressed herself up against me. She purred in my ear, and began to basically dry hump me. I began to lose myself in my arousal, my willpower was fading rapidly.

"Come on… Alma, I have to get ready to fight. You're distracting me." I told her, though it sounded weak. "Am I? Or is it my breasts distracting you?" she asked playfully. That's when I lost my will to fight her. I grabbed her arm, and pressed her up against the door to the inn. "Come to fight with me… and then once we finish, I will ravage you." I said, whispering in her ear, a low growl escaping from my throat.

Then I kissed her hard on her neck. She squirmed, and moaned softly. Then before it could go further, I released her, and began walking off, and she began to follow. I looked back over her, she had a slim waste, she was more toned then Aeihe, her breasts were larger, her hips were wider, and she had better thighs, and her rear was something to drool over. Of course I wasn't going to leave Aeihe, but I was sure as hell going to live my life like tonight was my last night on nirn.

Five minutes later….

Xaxa Faolan Red

I was standing in front of a large group of forsworn warriors. The chosen swordsmen I asked for were there with their weapons of steel, gold, and dwemer metals. Some even had ebony, and glass weapons. And then there were the regular warriors, and then the twenty shamans. That included Alma'Lexia, and Aeihe. This was going to get complicated.  
"Okay, you all know what we have to do. Take out the Markarth military camp near Karthspire, and sky haven temple. That area is to crucial to this war, we cannot lose it. Do not let me down, don't let the reach down!" I roared, and a roar went up in the ranks, and I began to go south, and the huge group followed me. We marched down unopposed.

The harassment had made the Stormcloaks weary. They would have to waste time fighting us, and I would appeal to the empire to see if I could have the reach in exchange for destroying the Stormcloak problem. But one thing at a time I suppose. We marched south passed blind cliff cave, and near Kolskeggr. I had decided halfway to our objective, that we split up into squads, of at least ten to twenty and then converge on the enemy camp and overwhelm them.

"Look alive men, keep your wits about you." I told the squad I had branched off with. My squad was made up of Aryn, Aonai, Alma'Lexia, Aeihe, Alaric, Muiri, and a few ravagers, and pillagers, and a warlord named Ferin. We neared their encampment, and we saw it was heavily fortified, and heavily guarded. I decided our party would not be enough.

"Muiri, Aeihe return to Karthwasten and call for reinforcements. We are going to go on ahead an attack, hurry." I told them but Aeihe looked very angry. "No, I am not going to leave you to go on a suicide mission alone." She said, and I snapped at her. "Look Aeihe. Do as I asked, I am not a child, I can handle myself, go!" I barked, and she looked shocked, then hurt. But eventually she just nodded. Eventually her Muiri turned and took off running back to Karthwasten.

"Aryn, send the signal up to the others, three fireball into the air, followed by an ice spike and lightning bolt." I ordered him, and he nodded. He turned and let loose his destruction magick and the others responded. The enemy camp by now should have been alerted to the presence of the nearly three hundred warriors amassed around them.

Just then the angry war cry of hundreds of reachmen went up in the surrounding hills, and mountains followed destruction magick flaring up into the air. I charged out of the forested hill to the front of the military camp. It was on larger hill above us, they had the high ground. Archers and sentries began scrambling about, and knocking arrows. I hurled an ice spike at one of them, and it impaled him through his heart. I launched an arc of lightning at another. Alma'Lexia unleashed a powerful wave of chain lightning, taking out at least five Stormcloaks.

Aryn lobbed another fireball at a group of nords on one of the ramparts, and they exploded in a wave of fire, they were cooked alive. "Rend the flesh from their bones!" I roared as I charged at Stormcloak, who was preparing to fight me. I unleashed another arc of lightning, and then drew my forsworn sword. Red Eagle's fury was ready to bathe itself in the fresh blood of my enemies.

He swung his sword at me, but I blocked it with Red Eagle's fury, and then stabbed him with my forsworn sword. The chosen swords men began to lay siege to the camp, as I eased the man down, then I took from him his head. Blood sprayed in my face and I licked my lips, forcing my bloodlust to sky rocket.

Alma'Lexia came up beside me, while unleashing another wave of chain lightning on the nords. "Are you ready to live forever?" she asked above the sounds of battle. I nodded to her "Always." She nodded back, "Then come on let's go, I bet I'll kill more then you!" she said, running off into the fray, weapon drawn. "I bet you won't!" I called after her, following her into the battle that had begun. I was not going to allow her to out kill me.

"Oh come on Xaxa, hurry up! Loser buys the winner drinks!" she shouted as she ran another Stormcloak warrior through. I dove onto the ground avoiding a greatsword, and I slashed out my assailants legs. Then I rose and stab him through his heart. He moaned as I left him to his fate. I saw another Stormcloak, this one was an officer, a general by the looks of it, he had an ebony war axe, something I wanted to add to my collection. I saw Alma'Lexia engaging three Stormcloaks, and winning. She had cast flame cloak, and was unleashing torrents of chain lightning.

"Hey snow back!" I cried at the officer, and he turned to me, his face was one of pure hate. His left eye was all white, signifying that he was blind in that one. He had deep scars running across his face, he had red hair, and a red beard. He had three braids in his hair, the rest was an untamed mane.

"Oh another witchmen has come to die at my hand." He said his voice deep and low, like the growl of a bear. "Are you ready to die, savage?" he asked cruelly. I then noticed several of my kinsmen lying dead at his feet. That made me angry, "Do your best axe dragger." I barked back at him. He took on a fighting stance and charged. "Come! Come on and face the FORSWORN!" I roared, charging at him, I was ready to end him, and take his axe as a trophy.

He swung first, and I parried his strike, then I hit him with the hilt of Red Eagle's fury. "I am Xaxa Faolan Red! Son of Lukaia, and Madanach! Descendant of the great Red Eagle, first and foremost lord of the reach! A right that I shall reclaim in his stead! Face the full might of the Forsworn! Here today you face the REACH KING!" I bellowed, and I brought my sword around for another strike, this time slashing him deep across his chest.

He struck back, he swung his axe, and it lodged itself in my side. I coughed up blood and pain exploded across my side, washing over my body. I bellowed in pain and rage, and I brought Red Eagle's bane across his chest once more, cutting deep, then I kicked him off of me and leapt on him stabbing him through his stomach.

"You think you can kill me witch men! I am a true bear friend, they call me Ysun the black bear!" he bellowed, kicking me off of him, and striking me once more with his axe, in my thigh. My strength began to wane, he knocked me to the ground. "Now you die witch men!" he bellowed about to finish me, that's when everything froze.

I looked around me and saw the battle was frozen in place, the world around me morphing slightly. That's when I saw him, a man hovering above me shaking his head. He had hair like mine, only darker. He wore a golden torc, and he had the banner of the sundered hills draped across his shoulders.

"So you are my descendant, the one who bears my name." he said musing. "Who are you?" I asked him, slightly alarmed. "I am Faolan, the Red Eagle. By saying what you said, you have just claimed my birthright and yours. Xaxa, you are the Red Eagle now, in truth and earnest. You wield my sword, bear my name, and lead the sundered hills." He continued "AND YOUR ABOUT TO BE KILLED BY A DAMN NORD!" he barked, suddenly looking very angry. "One of the same ones who raped your sister!" he bellowed, and I was confused. 

"What?" I asked growing angry as well. "Let her explain it to you, let her tell you, it is not my place." He said and I nodded. Whatever happened I wanted to know immediately. "Anyway you have a power inside of you without equal, dragon blooded you are. I know little of the dragon tongue, for it is a nord thing, but the old gods decided you need this power, or whatever god is in control of that sort of thing. Anu himself told me to teach you this word, so that you may know it. The word is FUS, apparently it means force, use it with power. That is all reachmen, and tell my mother I said hello." He said before he vanished and time sped back up.

Then I saw that Ysun was about to finish me. This was someone who had hurt my sister, and I saw red. I raised my arm to stop his strike, and he tried to overpower me, but I would not allow it. Then I remembered the word that Red Eagle had taught me.

"FUS!" I shouted and power rushed forth from my mouth, a wave of power. It knocked Ysun back and he stumbled to the ground, caught completely off guard. "What! What blasphemy is this!?" he said, as I rose to my feet. He remained on the ground stunned. He began to reach for his axe, but I kicked it aside, and stepped on his arm. I smiled down on him cruelly, and I shook my head.

"Oh my friend, where you're going you do not need that." I told him, and then I cast soul trap on him. "You shall be used so I can create and enchanted shovel, or a pick axe. Or maybe an enchanted loaf of bread." I mused scratching my head, thinking of what to do with him.

"What you just did barbarian! You used the voice!" he screamed in rage, all around the nords had stopped fighting and so had my warriors, to witness the spectacle. I stood over the bear friend, fear in his eyes, he knew I was about to finish him. "May the void take you!" I cried as I stabbed him through the heart, and then I cut his head from his shoulders and raised it above for the forsworn to see.

Then the battle resumed, the forsworn taking the opportunity of the nords distraction to outnumber each of them. The reinforcements had arrived as well and the camp would fall by night fall. The battle turned into a blood bath, and then into a massacre. "I am Xaxa Faolan Red! And Red Eagle has named me to be Lord of the Reach!" I roared, above the fray, and the men and women cheered my name until the last Stormcloak was lying dead. I kept Ysun's head it would be a gift to Raven and then I would ask her about what had happened while she was away.

We burned the camp to the ground, and plundered what they did have. I kept the ebony war axe as a trophy. I hoped it would serve me well in the many battles to come. We were returning to Karthwasten, the crowd of warriors had hoisted me up onto their shoulders. They were chanting "All hail the reach king! All hail Xaxa Faolan Red of the Sundered Hills!" I had Alma'Lexia up in my arms, as the crowd carried me, I was going to bed her tonight, and ravished her. That was all that was on my mind.

"I killed more than you did Xaxa." She whispered in my ears seductively. "No you didn't." I said, as I pulled her close, and kissed her passionately. She giggled in my throat. "Xaxa… what about that other girl?" she asked me as I broke the kiss. "Don't worry about her." I whispered in her ear, and then I nipped it. She giggled, and snuggled into my arms.

Finally we returned to Karthwasten, we had loot, and food, and plunder beyond measure from that one military camp. We had carted off every weapon available, we took the weapons off of the nord dead, even helms and armor, to prod for weaknesses. But we took no prisoners.

We carried everything we could, and a huge supply chain had formed. We began taking food to the storages, and the meats plundered to be cooked, and we took the weapons to the designated armory. While I was helping put the weapons in assorted piles, I felt the ground shake, and I heard what I thought was thunder.

Then a voice it said "DOVAHKIIN!" and then it stopped. "What the fuck was that!?" Kaie shouted, basically summing up what everybody had thought. She had a way of doing that. "Okay I have no idea, but I am going to pretend like I didn't hear it." Said Aonai, and I laughed "I think I'll do the same." I said, the head I had tied to my waist swinging as I turned, and I continued helping organize the weapons.

Then Alma'Lexia walked up behind me, and jumped on me. "When are we going to go have our fun?" she whispered in my ear. "Be patient, allow me to finish helping with this, and I will be right with you." I said tossing a steel sword into a pile.

To Be Continued…

A/N: So I know I had another Dragonborn in an earlier chapter, but I have something in store for that. I have taken lots of liberties in this story, and I may be taking a lot more. This story is just getting started, and I am going to start having nord point of views later on in the story. Thanks again for reading.

Yours' Truly, The Last Dragonborn Warrior


	10. Battle for Karthwasten part 2

Blood of the Reach

Chapter 8: Battle for Karthwasten Part 2

Xaxa Faolan Red

"Xaxa wake up, the nords are marching on Karthwasten!" I heard a voice shout in my ear. I awoke groggily and looked to see that it was Raven standing over top of me. I looked to my left and saw that Alma'Lexia was lying stark naked next to me. "Prepare the warriors, fight them for every step they take toward this position." I told her, and she nodded, turning to leave. She would turn out to be a fine general.

"Alma get up, the nords are coming." I told her nudging her until she opened her eyes slowly and yawned. "Xaxa is it morning?" she asked sleepily. "Yes, and a battle is about to begin." I told her, and she sat up and I got up and donned my armor. She did the same, putting on her headdress, and grabbed her sword, and her staff.

"Okay let's go." She said and I grabbed Red Eagle's fury, and my new ebony war axe. "I'm ready." I said nodding to her, and we walked out of the tent I had set aside. Outside was a mass of warriors, they were gathering into groups and packs and then rushing out of the gates. The hills were lined with camp fires, and warriors.

"Faolan are you ready?" asked the familiarly raspy voice of Esmeralda. "Yes matron." I told her. "Then don't let them get to this town!" she shrieked excitedly. "And bring me back an officer's head." She continued. Then she looked at Alma'Lexia "Oh so you have new meat? This is the morsel from the south." She said nodding "A leader no less, and a well known one. Very good choice." She said in approval. I just nodded. 

"Esmeralda I should go to the warriors, the next pack is forming." I said and she nodded. I went to the next pack which was mostly chosen swordsmen, warlords, briarhearts, shamans, and ravagers. "Xaxa, it is an honor that you grace us with your presence, may your sword darken with the blood of your enemies." One of the warlords said, I noticed Raven, Kaie, Eithne, and Madanach were there, and after nodding to the warrior I walked up to them.

"Are you guys ready?" I asked them, Madanach turned to me. "I've been ready young one. The question is… Are you ready?" he said a smile across his face. "Just be sure to keep up old man." I said back to him, and a deep hearty laugh came from my side. It was that orc, the one called Borkel the Beast. I also noticed old man Uraccen in the crowd.

"This young one has spunk. I like him." The orc said, and I grinned at that. "Who is ready to kill?" I shouted over my shoulder. A war cry rose up from the ranks. "All hail Xaxa, first and foremost lord of the Reach!" one of the warlords shouted, and the rest of the group followed after him. The only ones who didn't were Eithne, Kaie, Madanach, and Borkel. Raven just smiled at me. "Then let us go and kill some NORDS!" I shouted, breaking into a run, and my large pack followed after me. Aeihe was staying back on healer duty, it saddened me, but I had Alma'Lexia by my side in battle as of right now. We charged out the gates of Karthwasten, and onto the road, we kept charging until we saw large battle was underway. The nords had formed a small shield wall sections. It was nearly impossible for them to form a large shield wall like they wanted to because of the reaches rocky and craggy terrain.

We engaged the first group we saw, and it was fairly large. "Let them feel the bites of our swords!" I barked and the warriors raised a battle cry. Alma'Lexia unleashed torrents of chain lightning and ice spikes on the unwary nords. The nords reeled and, and charged at us right back. Kaie let loose ice spikes and fire ball, and I let loose a few arcs of lightning, before picking my war axe back up and charging at the nords.

A Stormcloak tried to slash me, but I ducked underneath his strike and separated his mid section from his legs with Red Eagle's fury. I split another nords skull with my war axe. Raven charged in at my back and took out a nord to my left, and Alma felled another one with an ice spike to the throat. She had deadly aim with destruction magick. A nord tried to cleave down upon my with his iron battleaxe, but I blocked with both my weapons, and then disarmed him, and ran him through the chest.

"Kill them all!" I roared, and I saw the chosen swordsmen tearing into the nords. Madanach jumped onto one of the Stormcloaks and finished him with a thrust through the chest. Alma'Lexia unleashed an ice storm spell engulfing several nords, and then she unleashed a wall of lightning into the nords ranks. Frying them to the bone.

I hacked another Stormcloak to pieces, and then I decapitated another. His blood spewing from where his head once sat upon his shoulders. "Come and face the mighty forsworn!" Raven bellowed dispatching two nord warriors. Eithne was following close behind her, slashing and hacking Stormcloak after Stormcloak. 

Alma'Lexia conjured a storm atronach to deal with the Stormcloaks she couldn't get to, and Kaie summoned a flame atronach. The storm and flame atronachs began ripping the enemies apart. I rammed into a Stormcloak warrior, thanks to the restoration magick I knew the injuries from the day before had all but healed. I cut another Stormcloak soldier deep in the chest, and then I took from him one of his arms. 

"Talos save me!" he cried. "This is the reach. There is no Talos here to save you." I said to him before effectively ending his life. "Skyrim belongs to the nords" I heard a Stormcloak warrior shout, and Alma'Lexia responded saying "Yeah? Well the reach belongs to the forsworn!" then she unleashed a powerful arc of lightning along with five ice spikes, and tore the man apart. Her hair was blowing wildly from the raw power of her magicka which was swarming all around her.

"Reinforcements are coming for us! The nords have called upon theirs as well!" cried a warlord who was wielding a sword of gold. He had wild war paint and a necklace signifying him as a forsworn warlord. Three chosen swordsmen stood around him with ebony swords. I looked and saw a large contingent of forsworn descending upon the battle from one side, and a massive horde of Stormcloaks on the other. Today was going to be a long day.

"Hey bitch! You ready to live forever?!" exclaimed a voice behind me, it was Aonai. I smiled and nodded at him. "Let them sing of us and our deeds for generations." He laughed, and then he pointed toward the Stormcloak army. "Let us go and slay them!" he cried, charging off into the fray, dispatching several Stormcloaks on the way. I followed after him, with Alma'Lexia in tow. She unleashed several ice spikes on the Stormcloaks in our way. I took the head from one, and I cut another in two.

The rest of our army finally descended into the valley we were fighting in. the battle had raged all the way to the Karth river valley, and the fighting was apparently up the entire length of the Karth, and there were enormous casualties on both sides.

"I'll rip you snow backs in half!" I heard a briarheart growl, throwing down his axe, and charging at Stormcloak soldier. The Stormcloak didn't stand a chance. The briarheart tore the head from his shoulders. After seeing that I gained a whole new respect for the briarhearts.

At some point Raven, Eithne, Kaie, Madanach, Borkel and Uraccen had caught up to my little war pack. "So you were just going to leave us?" Eithne said, though she was smiling. "Instead of watching the old man you should have stayed close. I hope he didn't slow you down." I said, while slashing another nord who made the unfortunate folly of attacking me.

"Old man?! Hah, boy if we weren't in the middle of a battle I'd show you what this 'old man' can do." He said, "Matter of fact…" he trailed off as he unleashed an arc of lightning on a Stormcloak soldier, the lightning tore him apart from the chest outward.

"Impressive." Alma'Lexia said, then she unleashed chain lightning, and a fire storm spell on a group of nords. The spell ripped them apart, they didn't stand a chance. "First you, then all the reach!" Raven cried out, before descending upon an unwary Stormcloak who was engaging the briarheart I recognized as Alaric. She killed him quickly, and then Alaric and her nodded at each other. Then Alaric did something I didn't think he could do, he conjured a hagraven. I didn't know he was that powerful.

The hag turned to a group of Stormcloaks, and attacked them with a torrent of fireball spells. He smiled, and then took another Stormcloak down with a thrust to the stomach. I looked and Alma and she looked at me and then we smiled. "Whoever has the least amount of kills buys everyone drinks!" we both said in unison and then we charged off into the fray, followed by whoops from Eithne, Kaie, and Raven, and groans from Madanach, Uraccen and Borkel.

"Mother would be so proud of you Xaxa!" Raven cried over the sounds of the chaotic battle, as she engaged another Stormcloak, wielding a greatsword. I jumped onto a nord warrior and began hacking at him with my war axe, then I felt something slam into my back, and pain exploded across my shoulders. Some damned archer had hit me when my back was turned. Can't say I wouldn't have done the same. I turned, but Alma and Raven were already on it, Ice spikes from Alma, and a gout of flames from Raven. Raven never was one for magick, never understood that, but I didn't question her choices.

"Kaie came up to me and cast healing hands, and Eithne pulled the arrow out of my shoulder. It hurt a little, but it was better than walking around with an arrow in my shoulder. I turned once my shoulder had been healed by Kaie's magick, and began going after an officer, surrounded by Stormcloak warriors, Raven followed after me in hot pursuit.

She leapt over me and cut down two Stormcloaks, opening a gap for me to get to one of their officers. I charged the officer, and he raised his shield to defend himself. The opening Raven had created had taken the Stormcloaks around him by surprise, and before they could fill the gap Alma, Kaie, and Eithne had unleashed a deadly rain of destruction magick upon them. The officer tried to bash me with his shield, but I rolled around his attack, and slashed at his legs.

The blow I had dealt was enough to cripple him, and he fell to the ground. I swung my sword in a wide arc, taking off his head. Then I let out a triumphant war cry, as the nords were beginning to retreat. They were routed, they were in a full retreat.

I jumped onto a raised stone as some of my comrades pursued them, and the others celebrated our victory. "Brothers sisters hear my words! The enemy thinks they are strong, but they are weak! They cannot stand against the tide which is our righteous fury. We shall take from them their homes! We shall take from them their lives! And we shall take from them their pride!" I roared, and the hills went up in uproar, at the excitement of our words.

"Let's not forget the most important thing to them, their most fatal weakness!" shouted Aonai. I turned to him, all turned to him. "And what would that be brother?" I shouted and a cheesy grin broke out across his face. "We must take from them their knees! We must use our arrows to strike at their knees!" he finished, and everyone broke into laughter. Raven and Eithne rolled their eyes.  
"Well looks like Aonai wants to end their adventuring careers." Raven said trying hard to no avail to contain her mirth. Just then I saw fireballs coming toward us from the skies. Not just regular fireballs, but massive fire balls. I stood wide eyed, and then I realized what was going on.

"Everyone, get down! Run!" I shouted, as the first fireball struck the valley, sending a large explosion sending many warriors flying. I jumped down from the rock, and then I saw what looked like a massive arrow coming straight towards us.  
"Ballistae! Get down!" cried Raven, and I dove to the ground. The arrow struck a group of warriors ripping them apart in its wake. Then a rain of arrows descended upon us with the siege engines.  
"They are using their catapults, and ballista Xaxa! We have to move now! It was a trap!" shouted Raven, and I looked for Alma'Lexia, she was staring at the sky in awe. I ran for her, grabbed her and threw her over my shoulder. "Alma we have to go now!" I said, before running, grabbing Raven by the hand. I saw Madanach grab Eithne, and Kaie was running with Borkel, and Uraccen. Aonai had disappeared. I prayed to the old gods that he was out of the danger. Aryn had disappeared as well. Just then another massive fireball struck another group of warriors ripping them apart.

Everyone was on the run, they had disappeared into the woods, or had taken off back to Karthwasten, or were dead or dying. I put Alma'Lexia down, and ordered Raven to make sure she returned to Karthwasten. "I'm going to find Aonai and Aryn!" I told her. She nodded and dragged Alma away. I turned and ran back into the fires that had started from the destruction. There were so many warriors dead or dying. Some were burning from the flames crying out to the old gods, their mothers, or their fathers. Others were blown to pieces, some were crawling missing legs and arms.

The smoke from the flames made me cough and gag, and I called out Aonai, and Aryn's names. Another fireball struck and sent a group of fleeing warriors flying. Trees were falling, and the smoke choked the air. "Aonai!" I cried "Aryn!" I continued as I wandered through the flames. Then I heard my name get called. It was Aryn's voice. I started to run toward the sound of the voice. Once I reached where it came from, the sight made me sick to my stomach. It was Aonai, charred and burned missing his left leg and right arm, but he was still alive. Aryn was hunched over him, trying not to cough, and talking to him.

"Xaxa… finish me… please…" he coughed out, I didn't want to, but I knew he wouldn't want to live as an invalid for the rest of his life. I nodded my head though my body was trembling. I drew my dagger, and plunged it into his chest cavity, ending his life, and putting him out of his misery.

"Your dance has ended brother, may you dance among the stars with your ancestors." I told him. Aryn just looked at me. I waved my hand in the air. "He sees his father, and his father's father, and all of his ancestors. We still have a life to live, we must leave before we join him in death." I said, and Aryn nodded. "What of his body?" Aryn asked me, and I looked at him "We shall bring him with…"

Just them I saw something I dreaded through the flames. It was a group of nord warriors in heavy and ornately crafted steel armor, and what looked like ebony armor that had been designed the same way as the Nordic carved I had heard about. They were killing our comrades, the ones who were alive, the wounded, and stabbing the dead once more to make sure they were that way. They were the feared Beowulfs which I had only heard of through rumors. I thought they were just a legend, but I was wrong.

"Any survivors you kill them! Then we take Karthwasten. The trap shall be sprung, by nightfall he siege will have begun!" Barked a nord officer who had a mask of cloth on to stem the inhalation of smoke.

I hit the ground with Aryn "That's the Beowulfs, if we engage them they will kill us, if they catch us they will kill us. On the count of three, I am going to cast ice spikes, and lightning bolts to distract them, I'll then run drawing their attention, and you return to Karthwasten to warn the remaining forces, and to round up what is left of us for a defense." I told Aryn, but he shook his head. "No my lord, you are too important to our cause, allow me to do it, you are needed more than I." he told me, and I stared at him for a moment, thinking. He didn't drop his gaze, and eventually I relented. I nodded my head "Promise you will live, be safe not stupid." I told him and he nodded with a grin.

"This plan was stupid from the start." He told me and then he jumped up and began to throw ice spikes and hurl arcs of lightning at the Beowulfs shouting "Glory to the Forsworn!" I rose to my feet and took off with a sprint toward Karthwasten as fast as I could, the flames, and the smoke choked me as I inhaled every breath. I turned back to see if Aryn was behind me, he wasn't he was still fighting the nord zealously.

He was lobbing lightning at them while taunting them, and raising dead bodies around him to help him fight. "First you, then all the Reach!" he roared throwing a fireball at one of the Beowulfs. They were cursing at him, and trying to get close, and they were failing. I knew that his magicka would soon fail him, and he'd be in trouble. Eventually it did, and then he drew his axe and his sword and charged into the fray like a true forsworn, with no regard for his life. He was doing what a true forsworn would do, me I was returning to the safety of the fortified Karthwasten.

He put up a good and desperate fight but eventually the Beowulfs overtook him. There were just too many of them, he took out a few, and wounded others but in reality he had no chance of winning. They killed him, ran him through with their swords, and then hacked him to pieces with his axe.  
"I die for my people!" he shouted before another sword blow to the chest finished him. I forced myself to watch him die, and it angered me, I would use him as a martyr as I would Aonai. I turned away and took off back to Karthwasten.

-Scene Break-

Xaxa Faolan Red

Once I arrived the sight was awful, the wounded were lying all around on makeshift mats, and bedrolls, and the healers were working furiously. I saw Raven, Eithne and Madanach arguing with a few warlords, and chieftains. I walked over to where the conversation was taking place. "The Sundered Hills is driving us to ruin!" a chieftain who looked unfamiliar, but I could tell he was a chieftain by the bone crown he wore. I had one but I chose not to wear it, I preferred the torc and headdress. The chieftain was angry, Raven and Madanach were trying to reason with him. Then he saw me and glared "This is the young whelp who you allow to lead you! Our destruction is on your head!" he barked pointing an accusing finger at me. Then Raven, Madanach and Eithne grew angry.  
"Do not speak of my brother that way!" Raven shouted, but I stepped up to the chieftain before it could go too far. "What is your name?" I asked in a low growl. He stared at me "My name is Ducorah of the round hill clan of the far eastern area of the reach. And I am taking my warriors to return home. You have brought ruin upon us and I shall have no part of it." He said, turning on his heel to leave, but I grabbed his shoulder. "If you leave now if the nords come knocking you shall receive no help, and you and your people will be enemies of the Sundered Hills." I told him, he turned to look at me. "If there is a Sundered Hills left at the end of this, the same can be said about you." Ducorah said, and walked away flanked by his warlords.

I sighed and shook my head. "How many more are leaving?" I asked Madanach. He looked at me angrily. "Not many, just him and a few of the tribes to the east. The eastern tribes always have been cowards. Now we have nine tribes gathered here, instead of ten." Madanach snapped, he clearly didn't like that question. "Well we need to prepare them because the nords are coming here in great number, we fell into a trap. And they have their elites in play now, the Beowulfs." I told him. And he nodded grimly "They shall pay for all they have done either way." Madanach told me and I nodded.

"Where is Aonai?" Raven asked me, and I hung my head. "Aonai and Aryn are dead." I told her, and she looked at me in disbelief. She recovered herself quickly however. "I see, I have things I must attend to I will catch up with you later." She told me turning to walk away, and Eithne followed after her. The hurt in her eyes was unmistakable, as was the heartbreak.

To Be continued…

I may end this book at chapter 15 to 20, but only because I am going to be making a sequel to it. It may be a while until I do post book two because I want to have at least five chapters to start with. As always drop a review to tell me what you think so far, and once again Yours truly The Last Dragonborn Warrior.


	11. Battle for Karthwasten part 3

Blood of the Reach

A/N: Warning: lemon. This is why I gave this story an M rating, besides the violence and other hagraven originated obscenities, enjoy.

Chapter 10: The Battle for Karthwasten part 3: Last Stand

Xaxa Faolan Red

Everyone from the Sundered Hills has been numbed by the deaths of Aonai and Aryn, they were some of the best warriors some of us had ever seen, and in the blink of an eye they were gone. Now it was down to me and me alone to lead these warriors, that I call my brothers to victory. I never did it alone, I always had Aryn, or Aonai at my side. Aryn was a fresh warrior, fresh from initiation, but he was a prodigy, he died like a true warrior, he fought to the finish. But in the end the nords killed him all the same, as they did Aonai.

Raven was taking it especially hard, apparently Raven and Aonai were closer than I thought, or her feelings for him were stronger than just friendship, whatever the case we would have much to talk about later, but for now we had a battle to prepare for.

I sat around a large table surrounded by the Chieftains and warlords that had remained. In all four tribes had left, only six remained. We lost the Eastern Hills tribe, the southern Karth river tribe, the Bloodthorn tribe of the south, and the Anayla tribe of the south. Most of the south had abandoned us, and the eastern hills.  
"We shall repay them for their betrayal Faolan." Esmeralda said, she was angry, that much I could tell, but she was never one to allow her feelings to cloud her judgment. "That we shall." Madanach agreed, and I nodded. "For now we need to prepare for this siege, the nords are closing in with large numbers." I said to them. "And we need to deal with these Beowulfs, they are a major threat." I continued.  
"Why don't we just leave?" Raven said sounding defeated. How deep did her feelings for Aonai run. It seemed that her will to fight had died with Aonai. "Raven if we leave now we will be telling every tribe that we are weak, that Xaxa is unworthy to lead them." Vokar spoke up, me and Vokar had grown close over the past few months.

I nodded "We can't leave now; we have to hold Karthwasten at all costs. Are the traps and defenses ready, and are the squads ready for ambushes?" I asked Vokar, and he nodded "That they are Xaxa, they will move on your signal. "They will be here by nightfall; we will hold Karthwasten at all costs, no matter the price." I said to him, and he nodded.

"How many chosen swordsmen and warlords do we have left?" I asked him. "We have at least one hundred fifty chosen swordsmen, before we had over a thousand, but a lot have left with their tribes, or are wounded to the point where restoration magick can only do so much, we have at least twenty warlords, the rest are defending the redoubts with a large portion of chosen swordsmen and warriors." He told me and I nodded.

"How many shamans?" I asked him "About sixty." He told me "How many briarhearts?" I asked he looked at me grimly. "At least eighty, far less than what we had, they either left with their matrons, or took their warriors under orders from their hag." He said grimly and I nodded. Our numbers had fell greatly, but this would be the proving ground, this was my test, where the Sundered Hills would rise or fall, every warrior from the Sundered Hills and Karthspire remained.

"Let us prepare for death and glory, all able bodied men and women must fight to the last." I said to Vokar, and he nodded and walked away to prepare for battle, I did the same though I spared Raven one last pained look before leaving, she and Eithne walked off in an opposite direction, Kaie was off with Aeihe healing the wounded, and Alma'Lexia followed after me leaving Madanach alone.

"Do you think we will die Xaxa?" asked Alma'Lexia as she followed me into one of the caves in the nearby hills. "I know not if we shall or not, but if we do let us take as many enemies as we can with us." I said to her over my shoulder. She sighed, and I turned to look at her, the young Chieftess, I never asked what clan she led. "If you wish to leave then you may I would think no less of you." I told her, and she shook her head vigorously. "I have no problem dying at your side Xaxa, as long as it's at your side." She said, and I smiled and pulled her into a passionate kiss.

Eventually the kiss led to me taking her clothes off, and she taking off mine, and I was on top of her in a cave with water streaming down from the sealing into pools of water. The cave was familiar, something from an old story I think, but I was not concerned with that at the moment, I was concerned with the beautiful women lying naked underneath me looking up at me expectantly. Her body curved in all the right places, her breasts were far larger then Aeihe's and those things were pretty large themselves, and her thighs were thicker, and her rear was plump and round. I kissed her passionately trailing my kisses down to her nipples.

She gasped, and moaned softly as I trailed kisses down to her navel, she ran her hands through my wild mane of hair, her reddish brown hair sprawled out above her head. "Xaxa…" she began but another moan racked her body as I trailed my kisses down even lower. She gripped my hair, and wrapped her legs around my head, trapping me between her legs. He order was pretty clear, and I followed it. Her arousal was clear by the wetness pooling between her thighs. I began to lick and kiss the source of her wetness, causing her to arch her back, and moan loudly, crying out my name. Eventually I felt her tense up, and I knew what was coming, she cried out in desperation as her orgasm reached its climax.

"Xaxa!" she shouted to the gods, as she released her hold on me from between her thighs, and I trailed my kisses back up her body, and eventually our mouths met once more. "I love you." She moaned between kisses. "I…Love you to." I said to her, as she guided me inside of her. She arched her back and threw her head back, and cried out once more in desperation, as I got to work. "Yes…Xaxa… Don't stop!" she cried in pleasure. "I wouldn't dream of it Alma." I whispered into her ear, then I proceeded to kiss her neck, and I gripped one of her godly breasts in my hand as the other cupped her ass.

I continued to thrust myself into her, and then I began to feel myself tense up, I was reaching my limit. Alma'Lexia's body was driving me crazy. I grunted, and let out a low growl as she moaned. She began to move her body in rhythm with mine, as I kissed her softly. Then she did something unexpected, she mustered all of her strength into a maneuver which put her on top of me. She smiled down at me mischievously as she began to undulate on top of me. I began to thrust upward to meet her as she would lower herself upon me.

She threw her head back crying out my name, as she bounced up and down hypnotically on top of me. Eventually she began to tense up; moving faster and faster and I matched her rhythm. She reached her climax at the same time I did, and I released myself inside her, as she cried my name out loudly once more. Then she collapsed in an exhausted heap on top of me, kissing my chest softly.  
"I love you Xaxa, but do you feel the same about me?" she asked, and I nodded. "Then what of Aeihe?" she asked, and that was the question I had been dreading. I didn't want to let Aeihe go either, but nor did I want to let Alma'Lexia go as well. "I don't know…" I began but she put a finger to my lips. "We can worry about that if we survive the night." She told me. Our tradition always told us to live every night like it was our last, because it could very well be our last night on nirn.

-Scene Break-

Raven Ap Madanach

Eventually night fell, and word from the ambush parties that a large nord contingent was on its way, with the Beowulfs. The parties attacked and then disappeared into the hills circling back around to Karthwasten.

"The nords are marching upon us now my lady!" cried out a young warrior from the Sundered hills. "What should we do?" another asked. "We ride out to meet them." I ordered, and I called for a contingent of warriors to follow. Among them was Vokar from Karthspire, me and him had a private discussion, he said he admires my leadership skills, and he has no heir to succeed him, so he told me that once he dies he wants me to take over his tribe at Karthspire. I didn't know what to say, but I didn't refuse, how could I?

"Raven, I am ready when you are." Vokar said to me, and I nodded. "Then let us go and meet our enemies. For the Reach!" I roared, and an uproar went through the contingent. With that we charged out of the fortified gates of Karthwasten and charged down to the Karth river to meet the nords there in battle. They had been bombarding Karthwasten with catapults and ballistae for nearly two hours. We had sent our best scouts, to take care of them, but they hadn't done it yet, All of Karthwasten was burning, and we were in the process of controlling the flames. There were chosen swordsmen behind me, followed by warlords, and all kinds of warriors in tow. I saw the first wave of Stormcloaks wading across the Karth river, and our archers began to hit them hard from positions hidden in the hills. We had set various traps on the way up to Karthwasten, and we had a very large area covered in all different kinds of runes, and other nasty surprises.

"For the Reach!" I cried as me and my comrades charged off to meet the nords at the river banks. Once we clashed with them, the bloodshed was immediate. Young forsworn warriors were sliced in two with greatswords, while Stormcloaks were blasted apart with destruction magick. I engaged a nord berserker with Red Eagle's Bane and took his head. 

"We will slaughter you like our god Talos slaughtered you at the battle of old Hroldan!" cried a bear friend, just as an arrow struck him in the neck. "Your god is false, and his memory shall crumble just as you shall crumble before the forsworn!" roared Vokar, and then he took down two Stormcloaks at once with relative ease.

I stabbed a Stormcloak in his stomach, and then hacked him to the ground with my dwarven war axe. "is this all that you have brought to face us!?" I barked to the skies angrily. "Is there no one else who can stand against us?!" I continued, taking down another Stormcloak. I should've kept my mouth shut, just as I dispatched another Stormcloak, I saw a group running to the fray, and they were clad in what appeared to be nordic carved armor. A sinking feeling set itself in my gut.

The Beowulfs, the elite Stormcloak fighting unit, clad in their nordic carved armor, with the best nordic carved weapons to match. They were lethal and deadly, and strong enough to stand up to the Penitus Oculatus. They began slaughtering my comrades in great number, very swiftly, I had to do something.  
"Vokar!" I shouted to him, and pointed to the Beowulfs, and he nodded. "I'll take care of it!" he shouted. He lobbed ice spikes at them, and then arcs of chain lightning. I had never really paid attention to Vokar, but his magicka was very strong, I never picked up on it before, until now. He summoned flame atronachs, and sent them forth against the Beowulfs, while he dealt with another group of Stormcloaks with his magick.

I charged them with some warriors in tow, and I jumped on top of one of the heavy armor clad nords, and thrust my sword through his chest, and I wriggled it around inside of his chest cavity cruelly causing blood to splash all around me. His blood got all over my hands, and my face, and smiled cruelly.  
"Think twice before facing the forsworn." I snarled into his ear, and then I looked up and saw Vokar locked in struggle with multiple Beowulfs, and he was losing. "Vokar!" I screamed, and charged in to help him, but I was too late. I didn't know magick I was useless, and they hacked him to the ground, and moved on leaving him there to die. I ran over to him, and I cradled his dying corpse. "Raven… take my torc, only you… can lead Karthspire… into the future. Protect the people…" he gasped out before he died. Hot tears ran down my face, but I would honor his wish, he was like a brother to me in these past days, and I would do as he asked me. I had no idea how to lead, but if Xaxa could do it, so could I.

I donned his torc, and then I was surrounded by a group of forsworn, in a protective stance. I recognized them from Karthspire, they surrounded the body of their fallen chieftain. "Vokar is dead my lady?" one asked me and I nodded. "He told me to lead." I said to them, and they nodded. "First we protect his body, and then bury him, we shall discuss that later." Another said, I recognized him as a warlord.

"We still have a fight to finish." I said to them, and then they nodded, and I left to go and continue the fight. It was a losing fight, but we were giving them hell for every step they took, but the Beowulfs were pushing hard toward Karthwasten, they were already moving up the hill towards its newly fortified gates. But they were moving on Karthwasten on multiple sides, the Stormcloaks were about to cross the bridge on the far side, but Xaxa had a contingency plan for that, they were walking right into a death trap.

But I kept my focus on the Beowulfs, who were cutting our people down as they moved up the hill. "Kill them!" I shouted and a group of warriors rallied around me. "Give them nothing! But take from them everything!" I shouted, and then I charged and they followed. The Beowulfs were paying no attention to us, and they kept advancing up the hill. We clashed with them, and the bloodshed was immediate. I put one of them down with ease, and another of their group went down as well, but they soon reeled around and began their slaughter once more.

"Kill these witchmen and bring their heads to Ulfric!" the one who I thought was their leader shouted. That made my anger spike, I hated Ulfric, and he would answer to what he had done to me. That monster had raped and abused me, with his men and then they clapped their hands. I would have his head.  
"Damn you and your Ulfric, and DAMN SOVNGARDE!" I shouted, and I leapt at their leader, and found a chink in his armor between his helmet and his breast plate, taking off his head. "Send them back to the Bear of Markarth in pieces!" I shouted, and then my warriors worked themselves into a frenzy and then the tide turned against the Beowulfs. Demoralized by the death of their leader, they fought desperately, but I refused to let any of them walk away from here today.  
Just then the entire stone bridge going across the Karth river near Karthwasten exploded in a chorus of fiery explosions, lightning arcs, and deadly shards of frost. The Stormcloaks had rallied nearly all of their men to cross that bridge, and they paid for it. But the bridge didn't fall, why didn't it crumble. The Stormcloaks recovered and began to cross more cautiously, though many of them had died they still had a sizable force. Enough to take Karthwasten with ease.

Xaxa's plan had failed, but how? A sinking feeling fell to my stomach. Was it all over? Just then I saw a woman, it looked Like Alma'Lexia appear under the bridge, and she appeared to be smiling, just as the nords began to cross the bridge in full force, Alma launched a fireball at its underside, and then dove into the river, and let the current carry her downstream. The effect was immediate; the underside of the bridge exploded in a massive amount of fiery explosions, and then it crumbled, and fell. The Stormcloaks on the bridge were swept into the current of the Karth, and then the ones who survived were ravaged by lightning arcs.

Then joy rose up inside of me. Xaxa hadn't failed, and then I felt ashamed that I thought he had failed, that I head doubted him, and then I refocused on the task at hand. The Beowulfs, who were in a state of shock and awe at the fact that their army was almost all but destroyed? Then the Stormcloaks began to flee, the cowards were routed, and they would still have to deal with the countless other warriors hidden near the roads ready to ambush them once more in case they had been routed.

Then we began to slaughter the rest of the Beowulfs, within minutes the remaining Beowulfs and Stormcloaks were lying dead. And a huge uproar went up around the entire Karth valley, we had done it, we had beaten them, we were victorious, but our victory came at such a high cost. So many had died, but we had won. Their sacrifices were not in vain, we had won at a high cost, and now it was time to recognized the heroes, and bury the dead.

To be continued…

A/N: And that shall be the end of the fighting at Karthwasten for quite some time, but the drama is only just beginning. Enjoy, yours truly The Last Dragonborn Warrior

Also it's time I got this out of the way…

Disclaimer: I own nothing from Bethesda though I would like to except my created characters.


	12. The Great Schism

Blood of the Reach

Chapter 11: The Great Schism

Xaxa Faolan Red

Our battle was won but at a high cost. Many had died, and the death toll was high, but we stood firm, even though many tribes abandoned us we stood strong. The tribes that abandoned us would pay dearly. The tribes that stayed would reap the rewards of staying. A civil war was brewing amongst the forsworn, our war had just become three sided. We would need to subdue the other tribes that were allied against us, before we could take on the nords, and the Stormcloaks. We needed unity, and we would win it at the cost of blood.

Now we were back at the drawing board, we had no time to celebrate; we needed to decide what to do with the other tribes. "So the Sundered Hills stood alone with the Druadachs, and Karthspire and we were victorious, against all odds, but at a high cost, most of our people have turned their backs on us, what now?" Eithne asked the people gathered in the cave. We had all returned to the Sundered Hills, after the decimation of the nords army. Since it was so close, everyone decided to stay there, and the wounded would be tended while we decided what to do next. I shifted uncomfortably with Alma'Lexia on my lap, her arms wrapped around my neck. Aeihe had seen us that way, but she didn't seem fazed by it, she actually seemed interested and told me she wanted to speak after the meeting, and I agreed.

"Well Raven is apparently being named Chieftess of Karthspire so that's an alliance without question." I said, and then Alma'Lexia stared back at me surprised. Then she shrugged her shoulders. "Oh well, looks like I'm not the only Chieftess anymore." And then she focused once more on the task at hand. "Well we need to deal with these traitors, unify the reachmen and then take Markarth, but we need everyone to stand as one." Madanach said, and I nodded.  
"Well the Sundered Hills has forged an alliance with Karthspire, and the Hunorah." I said, looking at Alma'Lexia. "So basically the Sundered Alliance stands once more." I finished, and Madanach nodded grimly.

"Well the Druadachs and the rest of the north will stand with you, solely because you are of my blood, and I take care of my own." He said, and I nodded to him. "But we still need to deal with the south, the east, and the western Karth tribes." Kaie said, I had forgotten she was even here. "True, we shall force them to join us, or put them down for their treason, and then we shall take the rest of the Reach, but we cannot do it if we are divided." I said back.

"Then we must force our people to stand as one." Esmeralda said, materializing from out of nowhere. I jumped with a start, I hated when she did that. "Long ago there were ten tribes, in the time of Red Eagle. They warred amongst themselves, and were easily conquered. We must rein them in quickly, or else the end result will be the same, our downfall. The nords will muster new armies, and we must be united if we are to stand a chance against them." She continued.

"Then why not seize Markarth, show the other tribes that we are a force to be reckoned with, and then they should all fall in line." Alma'Lexia spoke up. A few in the room agreed with that idea, but I shook my head rejecting it. "No, as of right now that is not an option, sure we could take Markarth with no problem, but if we are split into the ten tribes the nords could easily come back and wipe us out entirely." I said, and Madanach expressed his agreement at what I said.

"He has a point." Raven said, she had just walked in flanked by two burly looking warriors from Karthspire. She wore the torc of Vokar, and she wore the Saviors hide of Hircine, also known as the lord of the hunt. She also wore a helmet from a fallen Stormcloak officer, she called it the aspect of the bear, and she wore boots and gauntlets of the old gods. She was always been more attuned with nature than I had, the only thing that threw the whole thing off was her dwarven bow, and she called it Zephyr.

Her all black eyes looked beautiful and were complimented by her midnight colored hair. I stood up and saluted her. She giggled at that "Xaxa you know damn well you have no need to do that with me." She said, and I sighed and nodded my hair. She walked up to the table, and Kaie and Eithne moved aside so that she could see what we had drawn up.

She frowned at the map that had been made; no one spoke, not even Madanach. She commanded a respect that before she would never had given to herself. She truly did carry herself as a true born leader, and she would make a fine queen one day. "So our kin have decided to turn on us. Then they shall feel the wrath of the Sundered Hills and her allies, they either stand with us, or they shall die against us, but there is no in between." She said, and no one argued. 

She turned to look over her shoulder at one of her guards. "Gather me a party of fifty warriors; I think I shall pay dead crone rock a visit." She said, and the guard to her left saluted her and turned and walked out of the room. "I think we should make things simple, we neutralize the south first so that we have a buffer zone against Markarth if any armies march out of her, and then we make the east bow to us if they do not already do so at the fall of the south." She said then she toward me "Does this please you brother?" she asked cocking her head to one side, and narrowing her eyes questioningly. Her gaze held no venom, it was the gaze that Aonai had fell in love with all those years ago, but now he would never see it again because of the damn nords. My anger took over me, and I nodded. "Make them answer for their treason so we can move on and put the nords to the sword." I told her and she nodded and walked out without further words.

-Scene break-

Vokir Atairi Atokana

I stood in front of the Jarl of Markarth, the Silver-blood, he and I had done business before, and I always delivered. I wore my Nightingale attire, and we spoke the Forsworn. Most of Skyrim was aware of what was going on. And some were panicked others didn't care, some laughed saying that anyone the Stormcloaks put in charge would crumble and fall just like Ulfric and his petty uprising.

"Who do you want me to kill Silver-blood?" I asked the man currently sitting on the Mournful throne. "One Madanach Ap Faolan. I have reason to believe he is the one leading this uprising, it all started when he escaped from my damn mine." He said and I nodded. The king in rags was the next poor fool who would be finding themselves at the business end of my blade.

"I should expect that you would require the usual payment?" he asked me, I shook my head. "No, the price is doubled. Ten thousand septims." I said indifferently, and he looked at me shocked. But then he soon recollected himself. "I shall expect that old ties will not be coming between you and the job?' he asked me and I chuckled at that. "If the pay is right, nothing shall come between me and the coin." I told him. "I expect half now and half once the job is complete." I told him and he grumbled. "See my steward before you leave, he shall requisition the proper payment for you." And I just nodded and turned to go and find his steward, who had to be somewhere in this miserable place, I really hate Understone keep.

I really did enjoy my line of work, put down some fool, and get paid good money for basically doing nothing, being a Nightingale just made the job that much easier. I smirked inwardly to myself as I went to collect my collateral payment from the steward, if things went the way I had hoped they would I would be in a newfound position of power within the reach, I just loved when things fell into place the way they did.

-scene break-

Raven Ap Madanach

Off to Dead Crone rock first, to either gain their loyalty to the Sundered Alliance, or Drascua's head, and then their allegiance. I rode out with two hundred warriors from Karthspire; they had named me their Chieftess after Vokar's death. The Southern alliance will fall in time, but it had to be quick. Taking the head of one of their top matrons would surely send a message. I honestly thought Drascua was dead, after the Sundered Hills marched on them the first time to take Nettlebane for Esmeralda, but no somehow that old hag Drascua survived.

The warlords were behind me, after defeating the nord army at Karthwasten we basically had free reign in the reach, for now that is. I refused to allow a false sense of security to over take me. It wouldn't last, and we would need everyone we could get when the nord host fell upon us.

"Isn't Drascua dead?" I asked, "No a Hag can only be killed by another hag, unless her soul is trapped in a soul gem. She was most likely dispelled." A Shaman spoke up. I Just nodded my head. That was nice to know, that hags are harder to kill then we thought. The most we could do was kill her, and rally support before she reformed unless….. 

Xaxa Faolan Red

"Well since Raven is moving on Drascua and her brood, we shall strike east at the Hilglisii." I said. I knew this was a gamble to get the east to submit, but it had to be done quickly because everything we had strived so hard to achieve could fall apart at this very moment. We needed to be unified to gain our freedom, and I feared we would have to cut a bloody hole in our own people for that dream to be realized.

To be continued…


End file.
